


You Could Drag Me Through Hell If It Meant I Could Hold Your Hand

by ButIWillLove



Series: Angel With A Shotgun [2]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Angels vs. Demons, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hollstein - Freeform, Hollstein is endgame I promise, Romantic Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, angel with a shotgun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-24 14:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 70,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6156150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButIWillLove/pseuds/ButIWillLove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been over two years since the summer that changed everything, and with a little divine help the group has a new mission. Heaven's newest recruit is only partly trained before large levels of demonic activity (along with incessant begging and back talk) reunite Carmilla and Laura (and the rest of the gang) in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. As warring parties race to be the first to find the one thing that could shift the balance of power irrevocably, no one is safe. Old relationships will be pitted against new and everyone will have to decide where their loyalties truly lie, before it is decided for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There's Nowhere Unless You're There

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr with any questions, comments, or if you just want to talk! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Carmilla and Laura make up for lost time ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PART ONE  
> Title song: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams
> 
> Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to get part two up and running but being an adult is very time consuming. Thank you for your patience and hopefully I don't disappoint you. As before, make sure you read the beginning notes for trigger warnings. Hope you like part two!

Prologue

(Hell – Christmas Morning)

-Unknown Demon-

He could feel the sweat dripping from his brow, slowly running down his jawline until it fell from his chin onto the colorful carpet below. The demon couldn’t stand still, anxiety forced him to pace back and forth as he waited to be seen. His surroundings were in direct contradiction with his rapidly beating heart. He stood in the lobby of what looked like an upscale hotel, though no one here would ever be fooled by the smile of the receptionist or the luxurious furniture meant to warm the atmosphere. His eyes darted around him, taking in the colorful paintings that hung on all sides and the plush throw pillows that decorated the inviting couches and chairs.

“She will see you now.”

The demon jumped at the sound of the receptionist’s voice, turning to see her mere feet behind him. Her smile as clearly fake as the rest of this place, she motioned for him to follow her.

“Have you ever been here before?”

“No ma’am,” he replied politely, “This is my first time.”

“Well now honey, take a deep breath. Just keep your head up and speak clearly and truthfully and you will be fine, I promise.”

The anxious young man grunted in response, his mind elsewhere. The woman led him to three separate sets of elevator doors, each accompanied by a plate to its right containing a single metallic button above a keyhole. She threw him a quick smile over her shoulder as she pulled on a cord that hooked onto her belt loop, grasping a single silver key between her beautifully manicured fingers. It slid into the lock on the plate of the rightmost set of doors and turned with a soft click. Without relinquishing her grip on the key, the receptionist pressed the button with her thumb and the doors glided open.

Inside the elevator stood a mountain of a man dressed in a black suit, his expression unreadable. He nodded and gave a hint of a smile as the woman greeted him, “Hey there Roy, good to see you back. This is your ride,” she said turning to the demon behind her, “good luck to you.”

He swallowed a lump in his throat as he stepped into the elevator and turned to view the lobby one last time before the doors closed. He looked curiously for a button to press for the appropriate floor but the elevator began its ascent without any prompting.

The young man fought to control his breathing as they climbed and climbed, finally stopping at what had to be the top floor. The doors opened to a small room, another receptionist sat behind a desk at the far end with an equally fake smile and a headset.

“Ms. Belmonde is expecting you, please go right in.” she chirped and motioned to the door to the left.

Too far to back out now, he nodded in thanks and moved across the room to where she had motioned. He stepped into a barely lit room, large windows made up the back wall where he could see nothing but darkness. Behind a very official looking desk sat a woman, everything about her screamed importance and power. He heard the door close behind him and a feeling of dread began growing in the pit of his stomach.

“And who are you?” her voice carried across the room making him feel like a caged animal.

“Thomas,” he tried to say but it barely came out, so he cleared his throat and tried again, “Thomas ma’am.”

“Thomas,” the woman said his name as though tasting it, “and what can I do for you Thomas?”

He shoved every bit of fear down and stood up straight, using every bit of confidence he could find.

“I have information I believe you might be interested in Ms. Belmonde,” he stated.

“Oh really? And what might that be?” she drawled, boredom evident in her tone as she began shuffling through the papers scattered across her desk.

“I know how busy you have been and I have been doing what I can to help your cause up on earth ma’am. In my spare time, I have been keeping an eye on a certain human of my own volition.”

“And why would I be interested in a human?” she interrupted, “Don’t waste my time.”

She gave a flick of her hand and two enormous men appeared on either side of Thomas, grabbing his arms and pulling him away.

“What? No! Listen to me!” his cry fell on deaf ears as the two demons dragged him backwards into the shadows, “Wait! I found Carmilla!”

As soon as the name passed his lips, she was suddenly on her feet and his arms were freed.

“Carmilla? My dear boy why didn’t you say so sooner?” she smiled sweetly and prowled around her desk to lean against it with her arms crossed delicately in front of her.

“I was trying to, but…” his mouth snapped shut as he remembered who he was talking to, and he began again, “I’m sorry ma’am, I should have said that first. I know how close you two were before… well, everything that went down. So I would just check up on that human she liked whenever I could just on a hunch and I was right. She’s back, I saw her with my own eyes.”

“Now how is that possible?” the woman wondered aloud to herself.

“I am not sure ma’am, I just figured you would want to know is all. But she did come back with those two red headed angels she was with back then too.”

“Curious…” she whispered to herself, “and, Thomas was it? Thomas, have you told anyone else about this?”

“No ma’am, I support you and what you are doing. I came right here from where I saw her.”

“That’s a good boy. I appreciate your support and what you have done for me, so I am truly sorry for this. Boys?” she nodded her head in his direction.

Thomas didn’t have a chance to react before he was once again restrained between the two hulking men. “What? Ms. Belmonde, what are you doing?” he cried in confusion.

“I am thankful for what you have done for me, but you must know I cannot risk you telling anyone else about this, especially with those two hotheads running around.”

“I would never! Please…” he began struggling frantically, kicking and pulling in hopes of escape.

“I know dear, but everyone will talk for the right price and this is just too important to take that chance. Boys, be gentle with him, he did us a favor so in return I don’t want him to suffer.”

The two men began to drag the boy through a door hidden in the shadows and the woman turned to stare out into the darkness outside the glass.

“My dear sister,” she chuckled to herself, “you will never cease to amaze me it seems.”

Chapter 1

(Evanston, Wyoming – Present Day)

-Laura-

“Oh come on Carmilla, you can’t just sulk in here forever…”

One beautifully shaped eyebrow rose in defiance of that statement. “Oh really? Just watch me,” she challenged in a low, sensual voice that made Laura gulp almost comically. The brunette rose from her chair and crossed the room to the bed where the blonde lay reading a local guidebook, slowly crawling over the covers with a wicked smile, “I can stay here for quite some time, especially,” she enunciated each word as she inched her way up the blonde’s very reactive body, “if I am here with you.”

The final word was a whisper that Laura felt against her lips. Carmilla had finally come face to face with the borderline hyperventilating server whose body shook with want. She saw her angel’s head dip slightly before feeling the tip of her nose lightly brush up her parted lips to her nose where they were eye to eye once more. Both women were breathing heavily as the bartender brought her hand up to caress the side of Laura’s face, a gesture that made her shiver in anticipation. She choked down the emotion that arose at the familiar touch, the feeling she had accepted she would only ever relive in her memories was once again comforting her.

Laura smiled and lifted her head, connecting their lips and kissing the woman with all the love she had. She still couldn’t believe that she was able to taste the brunette’s smile, a week ago believing that all she would ever have were her own memories and an overplayed voicemail.

A surge of recklessness had the blonde’s hands trailing down the angel’s body, exploring all her favorite spots. She felt Carmilla’s lips quirk upwards in a grin as she began kissing her faster, harder, enthusiastically following Laura’s thought process. She slipped her fingers underneath the angel’s shirt and began tugging lightly on it, hinting where exactly she wanted that shirt not to be. Just as the brunette began to indulge her wordless request, the bedroom door flew open.

“Okay love birds, we are all waiting for you to get this meeting started… Oh shit.” Lafontaine’s sing-song smile fell from their face as they realized what they had just interrupted.

Reacting quickly, Laura grabbed Carmilla’s arms in an effort to keep her from carrying out the murder in her eyes. The tension in her muscles melted away under the server’s fingertips and she sighed.

“The first thing we are doing is changing the locks on our door, and every single door in this apartment.” the angel hissed through ground teeth.

“I’ll help…” the blonde added dryly, pushing Carmilla off of her so she could sit up and run her fingers through her hair.

“Sorry about that guys,” Laf added sheepishly from the doorway.

“No you aren’t, there is no way you just happened to barge in at that moment. I’m on to you…” the server mock threatened as she strode past Laf and down the hallway.

They turned their gaze to the brunette who brushed past them as Laura had, “Not a word shorty, I am not ready to talk to you without involving some kind of bodily harm.”

Their only answer was a devious grin as they followed Carmilla and Laura out the door. The three made a quick left around the side of the house and climbed the driveway. Laura and Carmilla’s new apartment was one of three that made up this a cozy little house that Lafontaine had managed to secure. The driveway ran down an incline to the left of the home and the girl’s front door was under street level. They reached the road and turned to enter what appeared to be the main entrance but was actually the door to Lafontaine and Perry’s apartment. Danny and Kirsch’s apartment door was on the right side of the house and the angel didn’t seem too happy about having the man-child as her assigned roommate.

If that wasn’t obvious, the bickering that poured out as Laura opened the door would have set the record straight.

“Ewww! What the hell was that?”

“I believe the term is called a ‘Wet Willy’” Perry’s matter-of-fact tone made Kirsch’s resounding “OWWWW!” that much funnier to the arriving group. Laura entered the living room and saw her friend rubbing the back of his head where it seemed that Danny had slapped him in retaliation.

“Ok children, time to get this party started!” Lafontaine sang.

“Party?” Carmilla scoffed behind them as she stepped through, closing the door behind her, “I don’t think you know what that word means. I doubt anyone out here in Butt Fuck, Wyoming does either.”

“Carmilla, that is enough.” Perry warned in an unamused tone.

With everyone settled and the brunette rolling her eyes, the meeting officially started.

“It’s fine Perr,” they said, “I get it. We really are in the middle of nowhere, not something any of us are really used to. But we aren’t just here for fun. There have been some spectacular levels of demonic activity in this little town, and that is why we are here. Carmilla, you were already released from training early as a favor so you could get back to Laura. That means you aren’t finished and more than that, I’m sure that Perry and Danny could use your help seeing as you have more firsthand knowledge than they do.”

“Me?” the bartender asked incredulously, “What could I possibly know that they don’t?”

“Well for starters, what your old demon pals might want in this tiny town.” Danny offered dryly.

“How the hell would I know you overgrown stop light? Until a couple days ago I have been with you and the obsessively clean one over there for what I thought was two weeks but turned out to be two years. And if time in heaven and time on Earth work differently, then who the fuck knows how much time passed in hell…”

“About five years.” The newly outed God added, eliciting five surprised stares in their direction. “What? Did you all forget the ‘omniscient and omnipotent’ part of my title?”

“Well no,” Perry began, “we just all figured we weren’t privy to those answers.”

“Oh, you aren’t,” they grinned, “but this isn’t exactly one of those huge cosmic secrets that will alter the course of people’s lives. The scale isn’t exact but about one week in heaven equals one year on Earth, then one year on Earth is equal to about two and a half years over there.”

“Over there?” Kirsch questioned, “Don't you mean DOWN there?”

“Nope,” they quipped, “hell is actually… to our left sometime.”

“I won't even ask why you said sometime instead of somewhere so I will skip to my next question,” the blonde asked, confusion on her face, “Why? Why the difference in time between each place?”

“Well, some of that answer is part of the ‘cosmic secrets’ file. However the short answer is that they are in different dimensions.”

Laura felt her face mirror Kirsch’s in dumbfounded shock.

_Different dimensions? Are they serious?_

A quick glance around the room revealed the three seraphim nodding their heads in understanding.

“So wait, you’re trying to tell us there is more than one ‘dimension’?” Kirsch added.

Lafontaine sighed and their expression skewed in thought for a moment. “Think of it like… different tv shows on the same channel. Some shows progress slowly since there is so much happening while others go quickly, touching on important details and skipping the rest. We are all on the same channel, but each show is moving at its own pace.”

“Well that makes a lot more sense than I thought,” Carmilla added thoughtfully.

“Good, because I need to go over one last thing really quickly before I leave.”

“You’re leaving? Where the hell are you going?” the bartender asked with eyebrows raised.

“That is for me to know and you not to know since, well, I said so.”

Laura laughed at her friend’s taunting and the reaction it was getting from the woman she loved.

“Now let’s get back to the subject at hand,” Laf stood and made their way across the room, opening a drawer and removing a stack of papers, handing them out to everyone, “these are our stories. Laura and Kirsch, you will notice you don’t have as much as the rest of them. That is because the closer you stay to the truth the easier it will be. I tweaked a couple details but besides that your own stories should be fine.”

“We have to have a story?” Kirsch mused as he read what had been handed to him.

“Well, we can’t exactly walk up to people and say ‘Hello, we are angels and we are looking for some demons. Have you seen any of those around lately?’” Danny joked, scanning through her packet before landing on something that made her eyes bulge near the bottom of the first page. “What the hell is this??? Lafon…”

Everyone had glanced up at the redhead’s exclamation to see her confusion at the empty spot where their friend had just been standing.

“What’s wrong?” Laura inquired, concern on her face.

Danny’s face matched her hair in color. Next to her Kirsch was still reading his paper when he looked up, a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

Her expression was a mix of incredulous anger and defeat when she held her paper up for them to see as she shot a glare to the man-child beside her, “That jackass has me engaged to this idiot!”

-Carmilla-

She could feel each individual muscle loosen as she stretched her arms above her head. She was following Laura down the slope alongside the house. Their driveway was less of an actual driveway and more of a grassy path with tire tracks that cut between two streets. She saw the blonde illuminated in the glow from their ‘porch’ light as she turned the corner in front of her with her key out. Around the back where their front door was situated was a small space, large enough for about a car and a half before a row of large bushes separated their parking space from the one outside of Kirsch and Danny’s apartment.

Rounding the bend quickly, Carmilla managed to pin Laura with her back against the door. As quickly as she could but slowly enough not to scare her, the angel brought their lips together. Within moments she had the server moaning into her mouth and squirming under her touch.

“Get a room!” a shout came from across their bushy border, Danny stood smiling outside of their door as she unlocked it. Kirsch stood behind her with a similar smile.

“I could say the same to you two!” she joked back, “But don’t forget to save some for the honeymoon!”

The angel’s face fell and a glare took its place, her middle finger in the air making both girls laugh. Laura reached behind her to where the key hung from the lock and twisted it, gaining them entrance to their apartment and into the privacy both were craving. The angel stumbled in after the blonde, catching her foot on the door and managing to push the door closed. The couple was enveloped in darkness as the door shut which did nothing to extinguish the desire between them.

In a blink she had closed the space that had accumulated between them and their lips were once again on the other. Carmilla had her hands cupped around the server’s face while she was wasting no time in trying to relocate the brunette’s shirt anywhere that wasn’t on her body. The article of clothing was gone in an instant and the girls were once again stumbling through the dark until Laura’s back hit a wall.

“Where is the damn bedroom?” she asked breathlessly as the angel traced her way down her neck with her tongue in the lead.

“No time…” was all she managed to get out before Laura’s moan erased everything that wasn’t anticipation of what was coming from her mind.

The blonde groaned in exasperated agreement, “Couch?”

This time, Carmilla let her mouth on the blonde’s trembling skin tell her how little time she was willing to waste on finding a horizontal surface for them to use. She pinned the blonde against the wall with her lips as she trailed her way south, making quick work of her bra on the way.

 The only thing that tasted better than Laura’s skin was the desire pulsating through her aura. The angel lavished her breasts with attention, nipping and sucking and causing goosebumps to erupt across her flesh. The blonde’s head fell backwards and moaned, the sound of which halved the brunette’s patience.

Carmilla began making her way down once more, not moving her fingers from where they played. Her mouth reached Laura’s hips and encountered the girl’s jeans making both women groan with impatience. Thinking quickly, the bartender took the button in her mouth and flicked it open, using her lips to pull the zipper and her teeth to take care of dragging the pants down every so slowly.

Fingers tangled in her raven locks and implored her to hurry which she happily obliged. The server stepped out of the pants that were pooled around her ankles as Carmilla nipped at the skin just above her panties, making her shudder.

“Oh God Carm, come on…” the breathless whisper above her was the final straw. The last barrier was ripped away, her hands grabbing at the blonde’s hips as they bucked in response to Carmilla’s tongue finally doing what her inarticulate noises had been begging for.

The brunette caught Laura and held her up as her knees buckled and her body shook with pleasure. Within seconds she had the fingers that had laced themselves into her hair pulling and gripping as the girl came with a shudder and a cry, her body turning to jelly.

Carmilla continued to use her tongue to help the blonde through the aftershocks of the orgasm. As the trembling subsided, she picked her up and lay her down on the couch a few feet away.

“Wow…” Laura said running a hand through her hair and turning with a smile on her face to the angel who lay next to her, “I forgot how amazing that felt.”

“Forgot? You mean you haven’t…” she trailed off in disbelief, unsure what to say to this revelation.

“Nope, not once,” she said followed by a peck on the stunned angel’s lips.

Carmilla ran he fingers through the light waves beside the woman’s face, “But why? You thought I was dead…”

Laura turned her body so that she was gazing directly into her eyes, the emotion she saw in them causing the bartender to forget how to breathe. “You are so dense sometimes, you know that?”

“What do you mean?” She felt her heart thumping against her chest, the look the server was giving her erasing everything from her mind.

The only answer she received was an insinuating laugh as Laura crawled on top of her and brought her lips down to capture hers. Her fingers toying with Carmilla’s pants as she pulled away just enough to whisper, “I guess I’m going to have to spell it out for you, huh?”

Using her tongue as a pen and Carmilla’s skin as the paper, she spelled out a very detailed explanation that left the brunette breathless (among other things).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	2. I'm Holding You Closer Than Most 'Cause You Are My Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get a small taste of the fluff to come, as well as a nibble of plot development

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> hints of homophobic attitudes
> 
> Title song: A Drop In The Ocean by Ron Pope
> 
> Thank you all for your patience, I had some personal stuff going on this weekend which pushed back my posting so I appreciate you all staying with me. Also, I am going to say that the next chapter will be out in about two weeks. I will do my best to get it out faster but I can't promise anything.  
> Happy reading!

-Laura-

The gentle morning sunlight woke her softly, her muscles aching in the most delicious way as she stretched her limbs. Laura opened her eyes to find herself on the couch with a pillow under her head and a blanket covering her from the cold mountain air.

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty,” came the voice she had gotten used to hearing only in her dreams, “you are just in time for breakfast!”

“Oh God, what time is it?” she grumbled as she snuggled deeper under her blanket, the only thing protecting her from the chilly air on her bare body.

“About 9:30,” Carmilla poked her head around the wall at the foot of the couch that separated the living room from the kitchen.

“Ugh, it’s so early…” the blonde grumbled.

“That’s because of the time difference, you’re used to east coast time and we are two hours behind them. Your body thinks it’s 11:30.” The brunette came out from behind the wall, revealing her tiny pajama shorts and white undershirt covered by an apron.

She felt the goofy grin that spread across her face at the sight of Carmilla, former big bad demon, wearing an apron.

“You’re adorable,” she said as she sat down near Laura’s feet, grabbing a pair of sweat pants and a shirt from the end table and throwing them toward her huddled form.

“I was about to say the exact same thing about you,” the server grinned as she sat up, quickly stuffing herself into the sleeveless pajama shirt she had been given. As she stood to step into the baggy pants, she felt Carmilla’s predatory gaze on her unadorned lower half causing her cheeks to heat.

“Really? So me seeing your naked butt makes you blush, but not what you and I were doing for most of the night?” the angel joked, accepting the playful slap on her shoulder. Laura slowly and deliberately put a leg on either side of where she sat, settling on her lap with a grin.

She couldn’t believe how happy she was feeling, something she hadn’t experienced since that summer if she was being honest. Not that she hadn’t tried, there just wasn’t any way to replicate the way Carmilla made her feel without the demon turned angel in her life. With a mischievous smile, the blonde caught the brunette’s lips with hers and explained to her just what she was feeling.

“Oh come on, do you two ever take a break?” the voice made Laura jump to her feet, her heart just about to come out of her throat. She grasped at her chest as she tried to calm her breathing, shooting a glare at Danny who was stepping through their front door followed by Kirsch. “Seriously though, you two kept me up most of the night. I’m surprised Kirsch couldn’t hear you!”

“Not for lack of trying…” he mumbled with a jokingly, sitting down at the kitchen table. Covered plates of eggs and bacon and toast sat before him, and he dug in without hesitation.

“Yes Kirsch, please feel free to help yourself to the breakfast I made specifically for Laura and I…” Carmilla said dryly, getting to her feet and heading into the kitchen with a roll of her eyes.

Kirsch had, without a plate, simply placed his toast on the table in front of him in order to butter it. As he lifted the first bite to his mouth, Danny’s hand grabbed the bread from his hand.

“I wouldn’t eat that if I were you. Hold on,” she tossed the piece of bread in the garbage on her way to the sink and grabbed a soapy washcloth before washing the entire table, even picking up plates to clean under them. When she was done, the redhead handed the confused Kirsch a new piece. “Trust me, you don’t want to know what they were doing on that table last night. You’re welcome.”

Laura felt her face turn bright red at the same time that the man’s jaw dropped and he looked at the blonde like a proud father. Carmilla’s face broke into a contented smile before laughing at the expression on Kirsch’s face.

“Hasn’t anyone told you not to eavesdrop Clifford?”

“Trust me, I didn’t want to be but you weren’t exactly trying to be quiet” Danny retorted.

“Not my fault I have that effect on people…” the brunette said with a devious grin.

“I was referring to you not Laura you smug prick.” Danny countered, nodding to the red scratches running down Laura’s back and peeking out from the edges of her shirt.

She didn’t think it was possible but she felt her face growing even redder and her ears were on fire from embarrassment.

“Nice…” Kirsch grinned, shooting a wink at the blonde when she turned to him, “That’s my girl.”

Meanwhile, Carmilla was shooting double middle fingers in the general direction of Danny’s smug face.

“Now now, is that any way to act towards your instructor?” the red head’s eyes sparkled with laughter as the brunette’s jaw dropped.

“Oh hell no…” Carmilla ran out of the kitchen and grasped at the pile of papers Lafontaine had given her the previous night which she had thrown in her haste to… get closer to Laura.

“Oh God, I am going to kill that mother fucker…” came her tortured groan. Carmilla dragged her defeated form back into the dining room and dropped herself into one of the chairs around the table. She tossed her packet of papers in front of Laura in a heap.

She picked the stack up and halfway down the first page was a section highlighted in yellow.

_“Effective immediately, the instruction and training of our newest recruit Carmilla Karnstein, will be overseen by Lola Perry. However the angel in charge will be officially documented as Danny Lawrence.”_

“Come on newbie, lighten up!” the angel joked gloatingly.

“I swear to Laf, I am going to kill them…” Carmilla grumbled to herself.

“Carm…” Laura mumbled disbelievingly as she continued to read down the page.

“If they think this is funny, they have another thing coming…”

“Carm!” Laura tried again.

“What?” she snapped, finally acknowledging the attempts being made for her attention.

Instead of saying anything, the blonde pushed the packet of papers in front of the woman and pointed to the section she wanted her to read.

Laura watched Carmilla skim the paragraph before her expression changed to one of surprise, “Son of a…”

-Carmilla-

“Good morning.” her smile felt so fake it was threatening to crack her face sooner than her sanity.

“Good morning!” the receptionist smiled at them warmly as the two girls walked through the entrance, “What can I do for you girls this morning?”

Both women were bundled in multiple layers of clothing, January in the mountains being about as warm as Antarctica at night. Thankfully Laura saved her from having to answer the cheery question with what would have most definitely been a snarky comment.

“Hello, I’m Laura and this is Carmilla. I believe we were expected?”

“Oh yes! You are the two from New York City right?” the woman observed them as though they were royalty, wonder etched into her face, “What brings two journalists from the Big Apple all the way out here?”

 Laura smiled before correcting the woman, “Actually, I’m the journalist. Carmilla is my photographer.”

“Oh dear, how silly of me. I can’t believe I missed that big fancy camera around her neck, of course you two are partners.”

Carmilla winked at the woman, “Yeah, and we also work together.”

The receptionist grimaced at the implicative joke, somehow keeping her now less than sincere smile in place, “I keep forgetting how… liberal you city folk are.”

Carmilla felt her temper flare at the veiled remark but the blonde’s hand on her arm helped her bite down her retort.

“I apologize for my friend, she has a very open sense of humor and no filter.” Laura teased, lifting the cloud of tension that had settled on the group somewhat.

“Of course,” she replied, her mood once again perky, “I believe the editor is waiting for you. Just take this hallway, make the second left and then you will see the elevators. Our intern should be around there and he can take you the rest of the way.”

“Thank you so much for your help!” Laura grabbed the brunette’s hand and dragged her along after her down the hallway they had been directed towards.

“Laura, what the h…”

“Shhhh, hold on” the blonde looked either way before pushing the confused brunette into an empty janitor’s closet and closing the door behind her.

“What are you…”

“Carm listen, how much do you know about this area?

Caught off guard, she shrugged her shoulders, “Not much I guess, why?”

Laura sighed, rubbing her temples before answering Carmilla’s unspoken confusion, “This is Wyoming Carm. Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, this isn’t North Carolina anymore. You can’t stay stuff like that around here, the vast majority of people are LDS.”

“LDS? What the hell is LDS?” the angel’s annoyance began to seep into her tone.

“LDS stands for Latter Day Saints, as in the Church of Latter Day Saints. Basically ninety five percent of the people here are Mormon, but they prefer being called LDS,” the journalist covered her face with her hands, buying herself time to think, “the point is, almost everyone here are super conservative Christians.”

“You’re joking right?” she scoffed, “So you’re telling me that everyone around here believes what that old as dirt book says, one written by those close minded man-children that They decided to use a bit more publically than others? Don’t get me wrong they were decent guys, Paul was pretty funny, but they were still all misogynistic pricks.”

“First, you are going to have to tell me that story later. Second, yeah it’s annoying but we can do it.”

“Well crap, that makes this a bit harder then huh?.” Carmilla reached out and pulled her close, wrapping her arms around the woman she loved. “It’s going to be alright I promise.”

“I know,” she felt Laura mumble against her chest where her cheek rested, “you’re here, so how bad can things get?”

Carmilla laughed dryly, “Don’t say that, let’s not forget what happened last time.”

The angel looked down as Laura tilted her head up and brushed their lips with a teasing smile, “Do you believe in angels?”

The brunette smiled and playing along with a conspiratorial grin, “Of course not, don’t be ridiculous.”

“Well you should. Not to brag, but I have my own guardian angel…” Laura’s eyes twinkled as she saw her reference had been received, “and she’s kinda hot.”

Carmilla’s heart was in her throat, choking her up and making it impossible to convey just how much she loved this woman. On a hunch, the angel concentrated her aura as best as she could, aiming it toward the loving brown eyes that held her own.

She knew it worked when Laura gasped and her expression softened, a giggle escaping before she stood on her toes and kissed the photographer.

At that moment the door handle jiggled giving the women less than a second of warning before the door swung open, “I swear I didn’t see them! Why would they be in… oh.”

Laura had turned as she had jumped, both women staring wide eyed at the figure in the doorway wondering how much had been seen.

“Why are you… ” the voice asked before stepping over the threshold and allowing their eyes to see him,  “Oh my God, Laura? Is that you?”

“Holy Hufflepuff, JP?” her voice rose incredulously, “What the heck are you doing out here?”

“I’m from here,” he countered, “I came back a little after you and everyone moved to New York and now I’m interning here. Wait, are you the journalists that everyone has been buzzing about?”

“I guess so, I didn’t realize everyone knew we were coming.”

Carmilla was frozen in place, trying not to draw attention to herself as she took in the situation she was currently in.

_I never noticed how much he looks like Will… It’s kinda creepy._

He motioned for the two women to come back into the hallway, “Of course they did! If you hadn’t noticed, we are a small town in the middle of nowhere. The smallest things will have everyone’s attention for weeks. With two journalists from New York coming at the same time we have new people moving in, I haven’t seen the gossip mill so busy since Brody and the boys got drunk and decided to take a selfie with some of the Greene’s bison. By the way, why were you two in the closet?”

Carmilla swallowed the quip that was on the tip of her tongue, allowing Laura to take the lead on this one.

“Oh that? I just wanted to have a quick word before we went up to meet the editor. Oh geez I’m being so rude. JP, this is Carmilla. Carmilla, this is JP. We worked at the same…” her introduction faded away at the absolute confusion on his face as he took his first good look at Carmilla, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, no everything is fine. It’s just… don’t I know you?”

Both girl’s jaws dropped simultaneously, Carmilla glancing at Laura for help.

“Me? I don’t think so…” she tripped over her tongue as she did her best to hide her surprise.

“No, I definitely do. You… you bartended with me and Kirsch at The Fresh!” his eyes lit up as the memory returned to him, “That’s so weird, it’s like I had completely forgotten about you until I saw your face just now. Like, totally erased from my memory…”

Carmilla shot a questioning look at Laura but only received an expression that mirrored her own as an answer.

“Anyway, I guess you want to go meet the editor right? I will show you to her office,” he said, recovering from his sudden recollection and motioning for them to follow. He only made it a few steps before turning around, looking each way to make sure no one was around before he whispered, “Just a heads up, people around here aren’t nearly as open minded as you are used to. I don’t know if you are together or what, but please be careful and don’t blast it. Trust me, everything will go much smoother. With a few exceptions, the people around here aren’t nearly as progressive and accepting as they are in North Carolina.”

“Thank you for the advice, we’ve never been out here so we appreciate you giving us the heads up.” the journalist smiled in thanks.

“Of course, what are friends for?” he grinned, spinning to show them to the editors office once more, “Also, I don’t know what they pay you two for coming out here or what your hours are, but I have a part time job bartending down the road and they are hiring if you’re interested.”

“N—”

“That would be perfect actually, we don’t make much and since we will be here a while we might need a little extra money.” Laura’s smile was bright before she gave the angel a ‘shut up and let me talk’ look.

“Yeah, great idea…” Carmilla said dryly.

“Ok, we’re here.” He made a left where another hallway intersected the one they were in, disappearing from Carmilla’s sight momentarily as Laura followed and she brought up the rear.

The second the brunette turned the corner she stopped dead in her tracks, transfixed at what she saw. Her mouth was suddenly a desert, a cold sweat appearing on her brow as her sight focused on a single point.

_Oh no. No no no…_

“Carmilla?”

The voice calling her name sounded distant, as though she were underwater.

“Carmilla?”

It was closer now, a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of the trance.

“Carmilla, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Laura was studying her, concern etched on her face as she tried to figure out what had happened.

“Yeah,” the angel’s mouth was like sandpaper and the word came out as more of a wheeze. She licked her lips and tried again, hoping her excuse would be enough to keep JP from asking too many questions, “Yeah, I’m alright. Sorry I don’t know what came over me, I just got a little lightheaded...”

“Lightheaded? That’s not good, come with me.” JP ordered, his tone immediately serious.

Laura wrapped her arm around Carmilla as they continued down the hall until they turned into what looked like a waiting room. There were a couple of chairs and a potted plant or two as decoration and soft, indiscernible music wafted from a speaker in the ceiling.

“Sit her down over there, I will be right back.”

Laura helped Carmilla over to one of the chairs and sat her down with a sigh.

“Carm? Hey, are you alright?” the blonde asked, her face inches away trying to figure out what was happening.

Before she could order her thoughts and explain that she felt fine JP had hurried back into the room, a tall cup of water in his grasp, “Watch out.”

Laura moved to the side as the man took her place, holding the water up to the brunette’s lips. Still in a daze, Carmilla grabbed the cup and began gulping the refreshing liquid, the fire in her throat quenched momentarily.

“Good,” JP stood, taking the empty cup and running back out the door only to return moments later with the glass full once more. “Here, now don’t drink this as fast. Relax and take deep breaths.”

“What happened?” Laura’s voice was borderline frantic, “Is she going to be alright?”

“Yes, she will be fine. Carmilla?” his voice woke her once more from her daze, “How are you feeling?”

She took a sip of her the water, buying a moment to come up with an answer. “A little better.”

“Were you feeling dizzy? Headache? Stomach discomfort?” he quizzed, his expression serious.

“Uhhh yeah, that’s right…” she responded, glad that he had given her an explanation for her odd behavior.

“Well then, you were most likely just experiencing was your first bit of altitude sickness. You two are acclimated to lower elevations where the air is actually different. Basically, there is less oxygen up at higher altitudes and that causes dizziness and headaches and other things. You are going to be just fine, just don’t exert yourself. Your body needs to grow accustomed to the elevation and differing oxygen levels.”

“Oh wow really?” Laura asked, her head tilted slightly in thought and made the brunette smile.

“Yup, though it is kind of odd. Usually, altitude sickness starts at 8,000 feet and we are only at about 6,750. But everyone is different, so your body is probably more sensitive to the elevation.”

“Yeah, that’s probably all it was.” The photographer inserted, trying to reroute his puzzled line of thought.

“Altitude sickness isn’t something to take lightly, I’m no doctor but I think you should go back to wherever you’re staying and just take things easy today. I will go up and tell the editor what happened and that you will be coming back tomorrow once you are more acclimated okay?”

Carmilla looked to Laura, silently communicating her need to get out of here.

“Yeah, that would be great. Thank you JP, I appreciate you looking out for us.”

“It’s no problem really; I’m just looking out for a couple of friends. Hey Laura?” she turned back to him, Carmilla’s arm already in her grasp to help her stand, “Do you still have the same cell number? I want to call you once I get out to see how you both are feeling.”

“Oh yeah, same number and same old dinosaur of a phone,” she grinned, trying to hurry the conversation forward.

Playing along, Carmilla allowed herself to be helped to stand and leaned her weight on the blonde’s supporting shoulder.

“Yeah, thank you. I’m glad you were here and knew what was happening because I wouldn’t have had any idea,” the brunette reached out and handed the cup back to JP.

“It’s no problem,” he grinned as the girls turned and made their way out, “Just be careful okay? Keep hydrated and don’t strain yourself. Take it easy for the rest of the day and if the symptoms come back or get worse go to the hospital, altitude sickness can kill you.”

“You got it doc!” the angel called over her shoulder, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

The women were halfway across the lobby when the receptionist waved to them and told them to have a nice day. Thankfully, Laura answered the farewell since Carmilla’s mind was once again seized by what she had seen around the corner. The blood in her veins ran cold, disbelief making her question her own eyes.

In front of her had been three sets of elevator doors lined up side by side. To the right of each elevator had been a metallic plate, each containing only a single button and a keyhole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all critiques are welcome and appreciated!  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	3. I'd Trade An Eternity For What's Been Taken Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Carmilla's training begins and Danny gets quite the surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> very brief gun usage
> 
> Title song: Goodbye by My Darkest Days
> 
> PLEASE don't forget to comment, and as always, let me know if there is anything you notice that I could improve on!

-Danny-

“You don’t understand!”

“No I don’t, but the answer is still no,” Danny said resolutely, “Laura will be just fine on her own. Nothing is going to happen to her at the newspaper office and you need to come with me.”

“But…” Carmilla paused as she searched for another excuse, “She doesn’t have a car and if I’m with you how will she get there?”

Danny was sure her expression clearly showed her annoyance as she pointed to one of the two spectators watching the argument from the couch. “Kirsch can take her, isn’t that right?”

“What?” he looked at her stupidly, not expecting to be brought into the conversation, “Oh yeah definitely. Anything for my beloved…”

“Ok, you can stop right there,” Danny interrupted him. “And Laura,” she looked to the woman sitting beside him, “do you think you can handle a meeting with the editor by yourself?”

“Of course, not a problem,” Laura answered perkily, “I’m all read up on our backstory.”

The angel glanced at her watch distractedly, “Great, so you two had better get going. I don’t think being late after that last minute cancellation yesterday will reflect too well.”

“Oh poop, you’re right,” she bounced off the couch and headed to the door to begin layering up, “come on Kirsch!”

“I’m coming, I don’t see why you need to put on so much to just go from here to the car and from the car into the building…”

“Because what if the car breaks down? It’s below freezing without the wind and anything could happen…”

The conversation cut out as the howling wind swept the sound of their voices away. The door had barely shut behind them when Danny received the full force of Carmilla’s glare.

“Do you have any idea what you just did?” the brunette growled, “Who knows who or what is in that building! I know what I saw and you just send Laura in there alone to…”

“Carmilla, that’s enough,” Danny cut her off, “Laura will be just fine. There is an entire building of witnesses as well as JP who promised to show her around and not leave her side. No one will hurt her, not in such a public setting.”

“Gee, that’s reassuring,” the brunette rolled her eyes.

“Well it will have to do because you and I have training to take care of. You are the one who agreed to this in exchange for getting back to Laura sooner.”

“And yet here I am, with you instead of Laura.”

“You know what? I don’t need to explain anything to you but you do have to listen to me. So shut up and let’s go because the sooner we get through today’s lesson, the sooner you can stop whining and get back to your girlfriend.”

Carmilla looked like she was about to strangle her, an oddly appropriate way for this lesson to begin. Before she could comment however, the brunette took a deep breath and relaxed noticeably.

With a glare, Carmilla brushed past her with a snarky, “She isn’t my girlfriend.”

Smirking knowing she had gotten to her, Danny turned in time to respond before the door closed. “That’s not what your papers say!”

\-------------------------

“Ok, now that we are about as lost as a person can get which is saying a lot considering where we are living, what are we supposed to do?”

Carmilla had been glaring at her out of her periphery for the entirety of the ride while barely acknowledging when Danny gave her directions. Even if she hadn’t understood her anger, she would have seen it in her pulsating aura.

“Make a right up there in about a hundred feet.”

“If you say so,” came the biting reply before she jerked the steering wheel, the back tires skidding in an arc through the snow.

The SUV crawled through what looked like a winter wonderland on steroids. Untouched snow was up to the bumper making their trip nothing short of miraculous as it plowed its own way through the steep mountain roads. Now that they were off any paved road, the drive became even more treacherous. The wind that rocked their car also churned the falling snow, making their visibility next to none even with their exceptional sight.

“Ok, stop here.” Danny directed, already braced for the immediate halt that Carmilla had made in hopes she would be thrown forward.

“And, what exactly are we doing here?” the brunette gazed around expectantly.

“Training, now take off your clothes.” She replied as she began removing her own layers.

“Excuse me, what?”

“You heard me, everything but your last layer comes off and will be left in the car. And don’t question it, time that I am explaining things you will understand in a few moments is time that will make this training session longer.”

Carmilla growled as she did what she had been told, shedding layer after layer until she sat there in just a t shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

“Good, now let’s go.” Danny opened the car door and stepped into the sea of snow.

When she turned to where Carmilla was making her way around the jeep she couldn’t hold in her laughter. The brunette was almost swimming because the snow came up to her chest.

Motioning for her to follow, Danny waded ahead of the car and clearing a path to make her travel easier. After a couple hundred yards, both angels stood shivering facing each other.

“Ok, so today we are working on your aura. You’re an angel now which means no more hiding your aura, now you need to learn how to control it.”

“You think I don’t know how to control my aura?”

“Actually no, not at all. I know you know how to make your aura invisible and I know you know how to control human auras but now we are talking about you. You can’t just drape your aura in camouflage, so we are here to learn control while dealing with outside stimuli.”

“Outside stimuli? As in the freezing cold snow and wind while I am wearing nothing to keep me warm?”

“Precisely!” Danny grinned, “Now sit down there and make yourself comfortable.”

“Comfortable my ass…” she grumbled as she dug herself a little hole before settling down.

“Good, now your aura right now is annoyed and rushed. What can you read from me?”

“Did you really bring me all the way out here to read your aura?” Carmilla asked disbelievingly before a stern look from her senior shut her up. “Fine, you are calm and relaxed with a hint of… smugness, I’m guessing because you are in charge of me right now.”

A smile curved Danny’s mouth upwards, “Good, but you are wrong.”

“No I’m not, I am looking at your aura right now!”

“Oh I know you are, but that isn’t what I’m feeling. That is what I am showing you, what I want you to see. In reality I am annoyed and kinda pissed because I can’t feel my butt and I have to be out here with you instead of cuddled up in bed with a book.”

“But then why…”

“Because that is what I want you to see. Now watch this.” Danny took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, releasing her hold on her aura.

“Holy shit…” Carmilla breathed disbelievingly, “Your aura just changed… what the hell?”

“Consider today’s lesson ‘How To Control Your Aura 101’ because it has been a long time since you were an angel. A lot has changed since you fell.”

“You can say that again…” Carmilla inserted under her breath as her teeth began to chatter.

“Right, looks like the cold is starting to get to you. That means it is time to get started…”

-Kirsch-

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” he asked through the window of the car door Laura had just closed.

“I’m sure, thanks for the ride Kirsch!’ Laura smiled at him, “What are you up to today?”

“Oh me? I’m going job searching because Laf didn’t set me up like they did for you. I just got a pat on the shoulder and a ‘Good luck bro!’”

“Ouch,” she winced dramatically, “I’m sure you’ll find something, they wouldn’t have left you hanging like that. Oh! I didn’t tell you before but since you’re looking for a job, JP told us that there is a restaurant down the street that he works at that is looking for servers and bartenders. You should check it out.”

“Hey thanks, I think I will. Good luck at your meeting!” he smiled at her encouragingly.

“You too! Keep your phone on, I don’t know how long this will be and I might need you to pick me up too.”

“You got it, see you later!”

Kirsch watched as she turned and struggled against the wind before finally making it into the building. Once he knew she was in, he pulled out onto the small two lane road that was the main street through town. Too late, he cursed himself internally for not asking Laura exactly which restaurant JP had been talking about.

_Whatever dude, I’m starving._

Directed by his rumbling stomach, Kirsch continued past the turn off for the building that was comprised of their three apartments and pulled into a small parking lot. A beat up looking sign near the road identified the establishment as the Lincoln Tavern. Upon first glance, the building looked like an old, out of business gas station. However, under the awning where the pumps would usually be were a couple parked cars. It was close to noon and he hadn’t even had breakfast yet thanks to the unholy racket being made by the two angels the entire morning.

As soon as he stepped out of his truck, the wind blew through his hastily assembled outfit and made the giant man’s teeth chatter.

_So maybe Laura was right about those layers, not like I will ever admit it to her though…_

He hustled through the door and into a small cozy room, a bell jingled as the door closed. To his left was an ‘L’ shaped bar with a cooler along one wall for cold packaged goods and a nicely set up back bar along the other. There were tables and stools in the bar area that was well kept and clean and to his right was a small section for booths.

Not wanting to take a table for just himself, Kirsch made a beeline for the bar stools. There were a couple people sitting at random intervals around the bar, talking amongst themselves. Feeling uncomfortable as an outsider, Kirsch chose a stool at the end with about 3 stools between him and the closest patron. Within seconds, the bartender broke away from the conversation he was having with a group of his bar guests and walked over with an easygoing smile. A slight flick of his wrist sent a slim coaster sliding across the bar top to land perfectly in front of Kirsch.

“Hey there, how are you doing today?” his grin was contagious, “What can I do ya for?”

“I’m alright thanks, could I see your menu?”

“Sure thing,” the man answered cheerfully as he reached under the counter and procured a single page wrapped in laminate, “can I get you something to drink?”

“Uh yeah, could I get a Yuengling draft?”

“Coming right up!” he winked and walked down the bar to the handles, filling the frosted glass perfectly to the top before placing it on the coaster. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, I just want a burger and fries really.”

Behind him, the door opened making the bell jingle merrily as it announced a new arrival.

“You got it, beef or buffalo?” the man smiled, glancing behind Kirsch quickly to see whoever had just entered.

“What?” Kirsch asked in confusion.

The bartender’s attention had focused over Kirsch’s shoulder and his hospitable smile became genuine.

“Come on Sam, if he is confused at that basic question then it is our civil duty to get him his first buffalo burger.”

He stood and turned to see who had answered for him and came face to face with a well-groomed man with a charming smile. Shorter than Kirsch by what had to be close to a foot, he was dressed in a police uniform. His presence radiated authority with a pair of tan pants that had a dark brown stripe down the sides matching his shirt where a sheriff’s star shone from where it was pinned over his left breast.

His left hand held his uniform hat that had most likely been removed when he entered and his right had been outstretched in greeting.

“Hello there, I’m sheriff Straka but please call me Theo.”

Kirsch grabbed his hand and shook it in greeting, “Wilson Kirsch, but call me Kirsch.”

“Pleasure to meet you Kirsch,” Theo grinned before nodding toward the stool next to him, “is this seat taken?”

“Huh? Oh, not at all. Have a seat.” He sat down again with the sheriff to his left and took a sip of his beer.

“So Kirsch, where are you from?”

“Well I just moved from New York City but I’ve lived in North Carolina all my life.”

“Very nice,” Theo nodded thoughtfully, “so are you just passing through?”

“Oh no, I actually just moved here with my fiancée. We are renting an apartment about a minute down the road.”

“Really?” the sheriff’s voice rose slightly in what could almost be mistaken as surprise, “Well then welcome to Evanston. Do you work around here too?”

Kirsch groaned into his beer, “Nah man, I’m actually in the market for a job.”

“In the market?” Theo echoed incredulously, “You moved here without a job set up?”

“Well, it sounds worse when you say it like that.”

He glanced away embarrassed, but when he looked back he saw the sheriff analyzing him thoughtfully.

“Do you have any experience in law enforcement?”

Confused, Kirsch replied, “Not really, I’ve only really had bartending jobs.”

“Are you interested in expanding your resume? Because I think I can help you with your job problem.”

His face lit up, “Wait, are you serious right now bro?”

“Absolutely, you’d actually be doing me a favor.”

“Well then I am so in…”

At that moment, the bartender returned with a large burger and golden brown fries. Kirsch’s mouth began watering, reaching out and taking his first bite before the man had taken his hand off the plate.

Theo’s face split into a grin as he watched Kirsch devour his burger. He stood and pushed the stool back into the counter, prompting Kirsch to turn away from his food.

“Well Kirsch, it was very nice to meet you. I have to get back to work but stop by the station in an hour or two and we can go over the details, how does that sound?”

“Mhmmm,” Kirsch grunted enthusiastically with his mouth full, chewing quickly as he wiped his hands on his jeans before holding his hand out, “that is perfect! Thank you so much!”

Theo grasped his hand firmly, shaking it. “Of course, I’m glad we could both help each other out.

-Danny-

_I swear on all that is holy, I’m going to kill her…_

The angel shivered and hugged her sweater tighter to herself as her hair blew in every direction. It had taken Carmilla all of a second after she had announced they were finished for the day to jump in the Jeep and speed, taking her layers and leaving her behind in a dusting of snow. That left the red head with only one option, and that was flying low until she was a couple miles away from Evanston and walking the rest of the way.

As pissed as she was, Danny was actually enjoying the time to herself. Between Lafontaine and Perry not having to hide their obvious attraction anymore, the snarky brunette pushing her buttons, Laura asking innumerable questions that she couldn’t answer, and her ‘fiancé’ giving her no personal space, this was the closest to peace she’d had in weeks.

She paused and considered her situation. It could be much worse, had they been anywhere but Wyoming she would have had to walk the entire way because she would have definitely been seen. Plus, the cold didn’t affect her nearly as much as it could, and now she had time to herself to evaluate her surroundings. Taking a deep breath, the angel searched the area. She noted that Perry and Lafontaine were both still at the apartment discussing something so important that they had blocked her from hearing their conversation.

_Well that’s a first. They’ve never blocked me, even during those little meetings with their ‘parents’ back at the Fresh…_

She felt Kirsch’s aura near the apartment, excitement shooting through pride about something he couldn’t wait to tell her. She rolled her eyes to herself, knowing she would be hearing all about his day later. Expanding her parameters she found two unusual inconsistencies. She was almost at the outskirts of the town , keeping her brisk pace as she examined the aura of a very obvious demon. It felt cocky yet smooth, very self-assured. She made a note of it and moved on, noticing another aura that left a bad taste in her mouth though she couldn’t put her finger on why. Along with this suspicious stranger who she assumed to be the mysterious editor, she found Laura at the top floor of the newspaper building. Quickly closing in was Carmilla’s frantic aura, made only more hectic as Laura went from curiosity to concern to full blown panic in the span of a second.

Danny’s heart nearly burst from her chest as she fought the immediate instinct to fly to Laura’s rescue.

_No, Lafontaine said not to get involved today. Carmilla can handle this herself…_

At this time, the angel had made it into downtown. She hastened her pace in hopes of taking a much needed nap before Kirsch returned. It took everything she had to continue past the newspaper building as she felt the glaring conflict unfolding on the top floor. She tucked her head down against the wind and continued to the apartment, trusting Laf to know what they were doing when they told her not to get involved.

It appeared they were right as she turned the corner and the tension in what she assumed was the editor’s office began to clear. Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, Danny began her walk up the hill that led to her apartment.

_I really need to learn that when They say it will be alright that things will actually be alright…_

As she reached the top of the hill, she looked both ways and crossed the street, cutting through the parking lot of the motel whose back was across the street from her final destination.  She let out a relieved ‘Thank God!” when she saw their building, already feeling the pillow under her head. She loved Laura and, by extension, Carmilla and how happy they were to be reunited, but they really needed to keep the noise down at night. She hadn’t had an actual night’s sleep since returning to Earth.

Danny made her way across the street and began walking around the right side of the house, thinking only of how amazing her bed would feel, when a distinct click and cold metal on the back of her head brought her out of her fantasy. She stopped cold as every hair on her body stood on end, her entire attention on the quiet breathing behind her.

“I don’t know who you are or what you want,” she began, trying to stall as she searched for an aura behind her, “but I don’t have anything on me.”

A low chuckle came from her rear, “Don’t waste your energy, you won’t find anything useful in my aura. Now turn around, and don’t think about signaling your friends inside unless you want to find out how long it takes an angel to heal from a bullet to the head.”

Her blood felt like ice in her veins as Danny slowly spun, the barrel of a gun in her face initially kept her attention. The weapon lowered slowly, allowing the angel her first look at her aggressor. When she saw who held her at gunpoint, her jaw nearly hit the ground in surprise.

Before her was a shorter woman with curly black hair and dark skin. Her eyes pierced Danny’s in a cold glare, her hold on the gun never wavering. She was dressed mostly in skintight black, a style that clearly outlined her muscled and toned body. A holster hung from her shoulders and another from her waist, knives hid in various places on her body and would be invisible to the human eye. However, none of this is what Danny focused on.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of the sneer growing on the woman’s face, “Well hello there Danny, did you miss me?”

“But how…” Danny began, trailing off as she tried to comprehend who stood before her, “What are you doing here Mel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, life has gotten pretty busy and I don't have as much time to write as I would like. Stick with me, things are just starting to heat up!  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	4. I'll Leave You Chokin' On Every Word You Left Unspoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the angels meet faces from their pasts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Throne by Bring Me The Horizon

-Laura-

For having been out of practice for the past two years, Laura had done pretty well hiding her nerves from Carmilla. But as she walked into the lobby and came to the front desk, her anxieties began to show through.

“Are you alright honey?” the receptionist asked concerned.

Laura cracked an uneasy smile, “Oh I’m fine thank you, just nervous I guess. This is my first big story really and it’s a bit nerve racking.”

The woman gave her an understanding smile, “You will do just fine, the editor is a very understanding woman. Just keep your head up and speak clearly and truthfully and you will do just fine I promise.”

“Thank you so much, am I going to the same place?”

“Yes dear, however the editor had to run out on a call. She should be back any moment though.”

“I can take her from here if that’s alright Nancy?” JP’s smooth and confident voice sounded through the oddly empty lobby as he approached them with a smile.

“Oh, of course. Good luck dear.”

“Thank you, have a great day.” Laura replied with a wave as she followed JP down the familiar hallway once again.

“So, how is Carmilla? I couldn’t help but notice she isn’t with you today.” He asked, making conversation as they approached the elevators.

“She’s alright, she was just feeling a bit under the weather so she is just resting a bit.” The blonde said, thinking quickly.

“Oh dear, well if there is anything I can do you’ll let me know right?”

“Of course, and thank you so much for your help. It really is nice to have a familiar face out here where I know literally no one.” Laura admitted sheepishly.

“Well I’m glad I could help then. Here we go,” he hit the button for the elevator and gestured for Laura to enter before him once the doors opened, “so, how are you liking Wyoming so far?”

“Well, it’s very cold.” She stated bluntly, eliciting a laugh from her friend.

“Yes, I believe that adjective does fit for this time of year. You should have come out during the summer. Everything is so beautiful and there is even a lake about an hour or so away inside of Utah. It’s called Bear Lake and is known as the ‘Caribbean of the Rockies’, and for a good reason too.”

“How can there be anything like the Caribbean around here?” the journalist inquired skeptically.

Producing a phone from his pocket, JP typed in his password and began clicking and scrolling until he found what he needed. With a triumphant grin, he turned the screen to show Laura just what he was talking about.

“Oh wow!” she exclaimed, “It’s beautiful…”

On the screen were pictures of crystal clear water on a sunny day. JP continued to scroll through the pictures, some showing him and his friends as they fooled around on the small beach.

“I’ve lived at the beach my entire life and I’ve never seen water so blue…”

A small ding sounded before the doors began to open. JP gave Laura a wink as he slid his phone back into his pocket and stepped off of the elevator, “That’s because this isn’t the ocean, it’s a lake. Good morning Grace, how are things?” he greeted another receptionist happily, “This is Laura Hollis, she was the one who was supposed to be here yesterday.”

“The editor isn’t in right now.” The woman didn’t even glance up from her computer screen as her fingers whirled around the keyboard.

“Yes, I was told. Is it alright if we just wait in her office for her to get back?”

“Sure thing.” She answered in a monotone, obviously unconcerned with the two people standing in front of her.

Laura followed JP as he led her through a door on the left and into the largest personal office Laura had ever seen. The first thing to catch her eye was a large desk covered in papers that had been meticulously organized. The entire back wall was made of windows that showed the snow as it moved with the wind. It certainly felt odd, as though her and JP had stepped into the middle of a snow globe. The walls were lined with bookcases that were filled to overflowing, interspersed with framed maps of the area.

“Well, looks like we will be waiting here for a little while. Might as well make ourselves comfortable right?” JP asked as he settled himself into one of the plushy armchairs that sat facing the desk.

“Don’t you have stuff you need to be doing instead of waiting here with me?” Laura wondered aloud as she made her way to the other chair.

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure the journalists will survive getting their own coffee for a little bit.” He winked at her conspiratorially, “So what have you been up to? And what is this big article that brings you all the way out here to the middle of nowhere? And how did Carmilla become a photographer, let alone your photographer?”

“Woah there, one question at a time,” she held her hands up in a slowdown motion.

“You’re right, I’m sorry about that,” he laughed at himself, “tell me about this article. Why is the New York Times sending a journalist and photographer all the way out here?”

“Well, it wasn’t the Times that sent us actually. Believe it or not, National Geographic is borrowing us to write an article on local legends around here.”

“Nat Geo?” JP’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, “How did you manage that?”

“I didn’t, one of the editors approached me and said he liked my writing. Before I knew it, he had talked to my boss and was shipping me and Carmilla out here.”

“Wow, that’s pretty cool! Do you know which legends you are going to write about yet?”

“No, this has all happened within the past couple days. I’m still trying to catch up, plus I have months to research and write. I’m on loan to Nat Geo until at least September so I have time.”

“What about Carmilla? Was she your photographer at the Times too?”

Laura sighed, “Actually no, I requested to bring her along as my photographer. It’s a long story really.”

“Well, we have time now if you’re up for it.” JP shot her a smile.

“You make a good point. Well, after you left that summer…”

\-------------------

“…So somehow Lafontaine managed to get us all apartments in the same building and now here we are.” Laura finished with a shrug.

“You were right, that was a crazy story.”

Before Laura could respond, they heard the ding of the elevator and the click of heels making their way toward them.

“Welcome back Ms. Belmonde, I didn’t know you would be gone so long. I have your eleven o’clock waiting in your office for you.”

“Thank you Grace, I’m sorry for running late and not calling. Have they been waiting long?”

“Since eleven, so almost 3 hours.”

Laura glanced at JP as her nerves returned full force, the footsteps making their way closer until a woman walked through the door. If she had to describe the editor in one word, it would be: professional. Not a hair was out of place as she somehow managed to gracefully rush in.

“My apologies for making you wait, I was called out abruptly and didn’t have any way of contacting you to let you know.” As she spoke, the editor was sweeping around the office, hanging her coat from the coat tree in the corner before walking to where Laura and JP had stood when she entered. “Hello, you must be Laura Hollis. My name is Matska Belmonde, but feel free to call me Mattie.”

Laura’s eyes were like saucers as this woman held her hand out in greeting. Slowly, the blonde grasped at the hand and shook, taking a moment to look at Mattie. Everything about her was beautiful, from her meticulously done hair (that on anyone else would be a mess from one second in this wind) to her dazzling smile. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt and white blouse, completed by a pair of heels that complimented her shapely legs perfectly.

“I… uh… hello. My name is Laura Hollis.” She managed to stutter before regaining her composure, “Don’t worry about the wait, I am sorry for cancelling last minute yesterday.”

“Oh that was no problem, is your friend feeling better?” Mattie asked, walking around her desk to settle in her seat.

“Yes, she should be fine. She decided to stay home and rest today and should be back on her feet tomorrow.” Laura responded as she and JP took their seats once again.

Before they could sit however, the editor cleared her throat pointedly as she looked at JP. “Have you been sitting here with our guest since eleven?”

All color drained from his face as he nodded, “Yes ma’am, I was just keeping Miss Hollis company. She seemed uncomfortable and I know her from a couple years ago and so I figured…”

His explanation trailed off under the stare he was receiving, “I appreciate you helping our guest, but I can take it from here. I think I heard Karl asking around for you.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied before turning to leave, “and it was great catching up with you Laura. Text me later and maybe we can do something.”

“Yeah sure, see you later JP.”

He nodded at her before exiting, closing the door behind him. His absence was immediately felt as Laura smiled hesitantly at Mattie, her nerves making themselves known once again as she continued to stand instead of sitting.

In a moment, she watched Mattie’s entire demeanor shift. The civil charm was still there, but underneath it was something that made Laura suddenly feel like she was a cornered animal.

“So, you are the Laura Hollis I’ve been hearing so much about.” A predatory grin blossomed on her face as she stood once more to walk around her desk, stopping in front of Laura and looking her over. “I was expecting someone a bit more… impressive.”

“Excuse me?” Laura asked, confused by the dramatic change in conversation.

Ignoring her bewildered expression, Mattie pushed the chair from behind Laura to give herself room. She began to walk around the blonde, examining her as if she were an item on display that she was thinking of purchasing.

“A bit short, hair is nice but not as well kept as it could be,” she muttered to herself as she circled the blonde, “pretty face but a little bit of extra weight around the waist. No fashion sense and even less self esteem…”

At that, Laura straightened herself and set her shoulders back, pulling herself to her full five feet two inches. “Excuse me, but what the hell are you doing?”

“Just getting a good look at you, I’ve heard so much and seeing you in person is a shock to say the least.” Mattie answered directly, her confident smirk never wavering.

“What are you talking about? What have you heard about me? And why does it matter what I look like?” Laura’s temper began a slow boil.

_Who does she think she is?_

That haughty expression dropped only slightly as she began to chuckle, “You’re joking right?” After a few seconds of silence from Laura, her attitude changed to one of genuine surprise, “You mean you really don’t know?”

“Don’t know what? I am here to write an article for National Geographic and I was told to see you as a courtesy, not to be insulted the moment my friend leaves the room.”

At her indignant response, Mattie cracked a grin before dissolving into full on laughter. She paused for a breath, “You honestly have no idea who I am, do you?”

“What’s going on, aren’t you the editor of the Uinta County Herald?”

“Oh this is priceless,” she said before laughing ironically once again.

“What’s priceless? What’s so funny?” Laura asked again, her patience growing thin.

“You are,” she chuckled as she turned and strode a few steps, “Didn’t you get the press release? I’m Matska Belmonde...” she enunciated her name as though she were explaining something to an especially dense child.

“Yes, we have established that already.” Laura interrupted.

“But my main title is not editor of the Uinta County Herald,” she continued without missing a step, “No, I guess you can say I am the ‘demon in charge’. In the wake of our recent loss of leadership and the subsequent… uproar it created,” she spun and prowled back to Laura, “I am the rightful and deserving replacement. And you are the meddling teenager who distracted my sister and murdered my mother.”

Laura forgot how to breathe as Mattie stood mere inches in front of her with her lips curved in an insidious smile. The blonde felt cold, rendered immobile from fear as a dark hand rose and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Time froze as Laura scrambled to think of what to do, realizing much too late that Carmilla had been right and she shouldn’t have come alone.

Shock must have rendered her brain useless as of all the things that raced through her brain, she heard herself say, “I’m not a teenager, I’m twenty-three.”

If she weren’t immobilized with fear, she would have smacked herself.

_Really? That’s what you choose to say? Way to stick it to her, Hollis…_

Cold, brown eyes crinkled in humor as they stared into hers. “Does that make a difference? All humans are infantile to someone who was created before there even was a thing such as time. You know you do have one thing going for you, you are quite entertaining. However now that we have dispensed with the borderline inarticulate sputtering, let’s move directly to the part where I turn you into a red splotch on the carpet, hmmm?”

Laur’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and her legs felt just as useful. A muted ding from the elevator barely registered to her, but the sound made Mattie’s smile grow as she spun to face the noise.

“Who are you? Wait, you can’t go in there!” Grace shouted indignantly before the office door exploded inward, revealing a very agitated Carmilla.

Laura breathed a sigh of relief, the brunette’s arrival meant she was safe for the moment. Carmilla stood in the doorway, her face drained of its color as she and Mattie stared at each other.

“Mattie?” she whispered in shock.

“Ms. Belmonde, I am so sorry. She forced her way in before I could stop her…” the obviously rattled receptionist had come up behind the angel, apologizing as she tried to drag Carmilla out of the door she had just burst through.

“No Grace, it’s alright. She is part of this meeting too, would you mind closing the door? We have a lot of important things to discuss.”

“Yes ma’am,” she replied, tugging on the door to free the handle that had become lodged in the wall with the force it had been opened with.

The door closed and the atmosphere felt like it could be cut with a knife.

“Carmilla dear, so glad you could finally join us,” Mattie sung, walking toward Carmilla’s stunned form and sweeping her up in a hug.

“Mattie!” her face lifting into a genuine smile, “Of all the things I expected to find up here, you were most definitely not one of them!”

“Oh come now sister, I should be the one saying that. You can’t imagine my surprise when I heard that you had, instead of being erased from memory and history alike, been spotted among the living.”

“Sister?” Laura said to herself, doing her best to keep up with the abruptly amicable banter between the two women.

“I think your surprise was most likely about the same as mine when I woke up.” Carmilla had pulled away from the editor slightly but continued their conversation still embracing her like a long lost friend.

“Something I would love to hear all about, just let me finish taking care of little miss wanna-be journalist and we can catch up.” Mattie stepped away from Carmilla’s arms only to be swirled like a dancer back into the casual embrace.

“This is my little miss wanna-be journalist actually.”

“I know, but she murdered Mother. I won’t pretend that I liked her, but it’s the principle of the thing. It won’t take a moment…” Mattie tried pulling away again only to be held in place by the angel.

“I won’t let you do that.” Carmilla stated confidently.

“Let me?” she pulled away successfully this time, “Who do you think you are talking to Kitty Cat? I could finish you just as easily as your little friend over there.”

“Doesn’t matter,” she repeated, “I won’t let you.”

A moment passed before Mattie’s eyes lit up, turning her gaze from Laura’s tense stance to Carmilla’s stubborn one. She wagged her finger playfully in her face, “You went and fell in love with one of the marks again, didn’t you? Oh yes, I understand now. The stories are wrong, you’re the one who killed Mother aren’t you? Did she threaten your little pet?” she asked, understanding spurring her revelations.

“She isn’t a ‘little pet’ Mattie…” Carmilla began before being cut off.

“Oh please, that’s what you always say. But fine, I won’t touch her until you get tired of her just like you did with the rest.” She said over her shoulder as she walked back to where Laura stood.

“The rest…?” Laura echoed at the same time Carmilla responded, “I won’t be getting tired of her.”

“Sure you won’t,” she laughed, “you always say that. But don’t worry, I can wait.”

Laura flinched instinctively when the demon reached around her, relaxing slightly when she realized Mattie was only returning the armchair to its original position. She smirked at the blonde’s edginess as she walked around her desk and settled into her own seat.

“So, since I’m not allowed to touch your ‘dinner date’ so to speak, where does that leave us?”

Carmilla moved to Laura’s side protectively before replying, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well if your aura isn’t lying, then you dear sister have done the impossible and changed sides on us. You reek of angelic holiness and I believe we have a lot of catching up to do, and limited time to do it in.”

The blonde had no idea how she hadn’t noticed the obvious demonic air that Mattie wore so well. Even the nonthreatening smile she had aimed toward them felt like it had been dipped in chaos.

“I agree we have a lot to catch up on, but what do you mean by limited time to do it in?” Carmilla questioned.

Mattie laughed until she realized that she was the only one doing so. “Wait, you’re serious?” she looked at Carmilla in honest surprise.

“Yeah, I haven’t exactly had wifi to keep up on current events. What’s the rush?” Carmilla was doing a good job of appearing calm, but Laura could tell that just under that controlled façade there was a sea of unease.

“You killed Mother,” she enunciated each word slowly and deliberately, “as in the devil herself.”

The angel’s expression was a clear ‘yeah so?’, not understanding where this was going. Something clicked in Laura’s mind as she recalled the demon’s earlier words, understanding flooding her veins with ice.

Mattie’s eyes met and held Laura’s as she unconsciously whispered, “Oh no…”

“Oh yes,” Mattie answered ironically, confirming what the journalist had pieced together a moment before.

“Oh no?” Carmilla’s confused gaze bounced back and forth between her sister and the woman she loved, trying to figure out the key fact that she had missed, “What’s ‘oh no’? What’s going on?”

“Don’t look at me,” Mattie said, a glimmer of morbid humor in her eyes, “ask your smart little pet project over there. It seems she put together the pieces you have been missing.”

Laura felt the angel’s wordless question turn to her, and it took a moment for her to come up with the words that made her stomach drop.

“Well I don’t think you temporarily took care of your mother like you thought, you permanently destroyed her, ” she stuttered, wetting her bone dry mouth before continuing, “and I mean, I’m not absolutely positive...”

“Oh no darling, you hit the nail right on the head,” Mattie shot her a disturbingly encouraging smile as she rested her head on her hands like a mock audience to their little show, “keep going.”

Laura gulped, forcing the words out of her mouth, “Carmilla, by removing the devil you created a power vacuum for a new leader. You turned hell into a real life ‘Game of Thrones’…”

-Danny-

“Is that really any way to greet your old friend?” Mel asked, mock hurt in her voice.

“Well seeing as my old friend has a gun in my face, I would have to say that my response is fairly appropriate.” Danny shot back, her eyebrow raised for maximum sass.

In the blink of an eye, the gun had been returned to its holster and a good portion of the hostility lifted. Danny wouldn’t let her defenses down even slightly, knowing that just because the gun wasn’t to her head didn’t mean she was no longer being threatened.

“See? No more gun, no need to get your feathers is a bunch.” Mel raised her hands, palms forward in a gesture of truce.

“Forgive me if I don’t exactly trust you at the moment,” the angel quipped, “so what do you want?”

“What do I want?” the woman frowned dramatically, “Why Danny I’m insulted. Can’t a friend just come around without an ulterior motive?”

“Not if that friend has given all the reasons you have given me not to trust them. Speaking of which, I’m not sure why you continue to refer to us as ‘friends’.”

“Because I still think of us as friends,” she responded, her body language backing up her statement, “I can’t say the same for you it seems…”

The angel’s mood deflated, a pained expression crossing her face. “Of course I still think of you as a friend, it’s just that things aren’t the same you know?”

“What’s going on out here?” Perry’s voice cracked like a whip and Mel visibly winced, “What are you doing here?”

“I was just leaving actually,” Mel shot a glare at the angel who had just appeared around the side of the building, “I’ll see you around Danny.”

“Yeah sure,” Danny replied distractedly, her attention focused on the visibly upset Perry who held her glare until she could no longer see the retreating woman.

“What was she doing here?” Perry asked in a hostile tone.

“Geez, calm down. I don’t know, she just showed up a minute or two before you came out here.” Danny snapped defensively, pushing past her fellow angel and seeing Laf’s concerned face before entering their apartment.

_So much for that nap…_

“You mean to tell me that she just showed up to have a little chat?” Perry continued, following Danny into the upper apartment.

“Calm down Perr, let her speak would you?” Lafontaine tried defusing the situation, closing the door behind them .

“I don’t know what she wanted, you interrupted before she could say much of anything.”

“You know her, what could she possibly want here?”

“I. Don’t. Know.” Danny grit through her teeth, “I haven’t seen her since then either, I guess you could say we fell out of touch.”

“Now is not the time for jokes…” Perry’s face was turning red in anger.

“Okay, everyone calm down!” Lafontaine shouted, pointing first to Danny with one hand and then to Perry with their other, “You, sit here. You, sit there.”

Both angels sat on opposing couches as they had been told, looking like two guilty children who had been caught by their parent.

“Good,” they huffed, “now Danny, why don’t you start from the beginning. In fact, tell us about training this morning and end with that pleasant little encounter you just had.”

The angel sighed, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, “Okay, so I took Carmilla up on the mountain like you said…”

\---------

“… at which point Perry burst out and chased Mel away before I could ask her anything.”

Having had time to return to her level headed state, Perry was leaning forward with interest, “So wait, what did she do to her aura? I only felt you outside, and even as I was seeing her with my eyes I couldn’t detect any hint of her otherwise.”

“I really don’t know, I was actually hoping you would have an answer for that.” Danny admitted, turning to Lafontaine.

“Unfortunately no, that falls under the category of things you need to find out for yourself.”

Danny and Perry groaned in unison, not because of the non-answer they had been given, but because of the sound of the door opening. Kirsch bounced into the living room, a smile on his face.

“Hello my deistic friends, how has your day been going?” he halted as he saw Danny’s jaw drop, “What? Is there something on my face?”

“No, I just didn’t think you knew big words like that.” She joked, prompting a childlike glare in her direction.

He huffed, “I don’t need this from my bride-to-be, I am a man!”

“Yeah, a man-child.” Lafontaine quipped, giggling at the tongue stuck out in their direction. “Don’t worry you idiot, that isn’t an insult. I made you like that on purpose.”

His face dropped, “I am not sure what to say to that, but I think it is time for a change of subject. Guess who got a job?”

“I am very much hoping the answer is my unemployed ‘fiancé’.” Danny mumbled under her breath.

“We have a winner!” Kirsch exclaimed pointing in Danny’s direction, “I was out job searching when I happened to meet the sheriff of Evanston, Theo Straka. Turns out the department just lost their dispatch operator and the job doesn’t take too much training, so I went in for a formal interview which is where I just came from. Say hello to the new dispatch operator for the Evanston Sheriff’s department!”

“Wow, that’s awesome!”

“Congratulations Kirsch!”

“Good job!”

The responses to his announcement had him beaming, and for a moment her heart dropped. It was gone in a moment, leaving Danny confused at her response. She didn’t have long to ponder the feeling though. Three red heads turned in unison to the sound of car doors being closed and the stormy auras that were approaching the door.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Kirsch asked, unsure what had them all looking to the door.

A moment later Laura and Carmilla walked into the living room, their socked feet muffled by the carpet as they filed over to the couch and dropped onto it.

“What happened to the two of you?” Perry spoke up, giving voice to everyone else’s thoughts.

Both women looked at each other wearily, wordlessly nominating Carmilla to speak first, “Guys, I messed up...”

“Messed up how…?” Danny asked, her eyes narrowing at the implication.

It became apparent that Carmilla wouldn’t be continuing, so Laura took over for her.

“Well we met with the editor, and it turns out that she is an old friend of Carm’s…” the blonde paused, licking her lips as she figured out how to continue. “After Carmilla convinced her not to kill me, she caught us up with the current events that we have been missing since that summer. It turns out that we met the actual devil in the flesh back then. So when Carmilla shot her, she actually died.”

Laura glanced around the room, meeting the gazes of two shocked angels, a deity who was nodding in understanding, and an extremely confused man.

“Well shit…” Danny muttered, the repercussions bouncing around in her head.

“It gets worse,” she glanced quickly at Carmilla’s guilty expression before continuing, “without the devil, hell dissolved into a civil war that has been going on for the past five years, hell years at least. The good news is that the race has thinned down to three demons, each one backed by a sizeable army of supporters. One of those demons is Mattie, also known as the editor of the Uinta County Herald. As it turns out that all three of them are here in town.”

“So one is the editor, what about the other two?” Danny asked, transfixed with the new information.

“I don’t know who or where they are, but Mattie did give us their names,” Danny forgot to breathe as she and everyone else in the room hung on her every word, “has anyone met a ‘Mel’ or a ‘Theo’?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment with what you think or if you see anything I can improve upon!  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	5. I Am Not Afraid Of This Mountain In My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the legends aren't as local as we thought...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: I Get Wicked by Thousand Foot Krutch
> 
> Hey everyone, I am so sorry for the delay in updates my life has been crazy these past couple weeks (and I could have finished and posted it earlier today but yours truly was meeting Natasha and Elise) so I took care of my priorities. I'm also sorry for posting the chapter then taking it away. I realized that I had included something that shouldn't have shown up this early on.

-Carmilla-

_“Wait, I actually KILLED her? How is that possible?”_

_“Because Kitty Cat, she wanted to be there personally to see you decide. It seems she made the wrong choice herself when she didn’t merely send out an offshoot of her consciousness like she usually does.”_

_“So that night, that was her whole self?”_

_“It seems that way.”_

_“But she never does that.”_

_“She did that night. Her first time back on earth since the original fall and she gets herself shot. It seems she isn’t as smart as we all had thought.”_

Carmilla was brought back to the present by an arm encircling her waist.

“I never got the chance to thank you for saving me earlier,” Laura cuddled up into her, holding onto the angel with her arm as they lay in their bed that night.

The little gathering had taken a turn for the hectic as soon as Laura had revealed the information they had returned with. They had spent the rest of the afternoon and a good part of the evening getting caught up and making plans for what this all meant. The sky was pitch black when they finally broke up to drag their exhausted selves to their respective apartments.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you don’t have to thank me,” the brunette tilted her head down to plant a kiss on the blonde’s forehead, “I would never let anything happen to you.”

“I know, I just thought I could handle whatever was up there by myself and it turns out I couldn’t.” Laura snuggled her face into the angel’s chest, the fabric muffling her words.

“What was that?” Carmilla smiled, pulling away so free her face.

“I wanted to prove to you that I had grown up since you left, but I just ended up showing you how helpless I am…”

“Helpless? You’re joking right?” when she stayed silent, the brunette cupped her face and met her eyes, “You are the furthest thing from helpless. Cupcake, you are one of the bravest people I have ever met. That night when Mother told me to kill you, you never even blinked. You literally stared death in the face. Even as your aura told me that you had never been so scared in your life, you didn’t look away.”

Laura snorted, “That wasn’t bravery, that was stubbornness.”

“Well then,” Carmilla punctuated her sentence with a light kiss on the forehead, “you are,” a peck on the tip of her nose, “the bravest stubborn person,” a quick kiss on the lips, “that I have ever met.”

Laura giggled, pulling Carmilla’s face forward to meet her lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before.”

“No? Maybe I should say it again for you…”

The angel smiled when her sentence was interrupted by another kiss, “No thank you, I can think of so many better things that you could be using your mouth for…”

“Oh really?” the angel gave her a conspiratorial look before rolling over onto the giggling blonde, “Well I wouldn’t want to disappoint…”

\-----------------

Carmilla sighed deeply, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have. The elevator dinged as she reached the top floor, the doors opening to the steely glare of Grace who wasn’t happy about being pushed past the day before. Carmilla walked right past the desk and into Mattie’s office since she wasn’t in the mood for the petty attitude of the receptionist.

“…of course not, don’t be stupid. I will come out there if you can’t do this correctly and I promise you don’t want me to come out there.” Mattie sat behind her desk, a phone to her ear when she saw Carmilla enter. “I will have to call you back, hopefully this will be fixed before then.”

She returned the phone to its cradle, standing and greeting Carmilla with a hug.

“My dear sister, I am so glad you came by. Come on, have a seat.”

The angel followed her sister and settled into one of the two luxurious armchairs in the corner.

“So, fill me in. It seems like I missed quite a bit.” Carmilla said, resting her face on her hand.

“Well I’d say so. After you took a run at mother, you can literally say that all hell broke loose. Being next in command, I had a lot of your mess to clean up. Every last worthless demon thought they had a right to the position; however I took care of that quickly. Now I just have the other two idiots to deal with and then it will be official.”

“Make it official?” the brunette echoed.

“You really never paid attention when mother was talking, did you? Of course not, you were too busy chasing your latest love. It’s a good thing I was listening and learning. Yes, while I am in charge, my position won’t be finalized until I crush all opposition.”

“Well then, why don’t you just go out and kill them? You have to know they are both in town…”

Mattie laughed, “It isn’t that easy. As much as it pains me, I need them before I dispose of their pathetic existence.”

“What do you need them for? If they are the only thing standing between you and an official coronation, why would you keep them alive?” Carmilla inquired, filing everything away so she could repeat this to the very curious Laura.

Mattie gave her a sly smile, “Carmilla dear, are you really trying to pump me for information for a girl too young to remember leg warmers? You barely know her, and besides, how can you think any of these pesky humans could ever be a match for you? The dark beauty of the Earth’s rotting core, none of these flies can ever be good enough for you.”

She shook her head, “You’re wrong Mattie, she’s stronger than you think.”

The woman gave her a disbelieving look, “If you say so, but when you are done with this one I will be waiting like I always am.”

“It’s going to be a long wait.”

She chuckled, “If you say so sister, but let’s return to the topic at hand. How did you manage to rip yourself from the abyss that is death for us mere demons?”

She squinted her eyes in thought, “I honestly don’t know. All I remember is being shot that night, and then everything went black. I don’t know how long it was, but I woke up in heaven. It looks different from how it used to but that’s not surprising.”

“So does this mean you are one of those frilly, holier than thou angels now?”

Carmilla laughed, “God no, if that ever happened I would like to ask you to just kill me.”

Mattie let out a relieved laugh, “Oh good, you had me worried for a moment with that little performance yesterday.”

“Trust me, I don’t know why this happened but I am still the same Carmilla you painted Saigon red with.”

She stood, smiling as she walked over to one of the bookshelves across the room. “That is good to hear, I am so happy to have my little sister back.”

Carmilla followed behind her, “It is good to be back, especially with you.”

The editor didn’t answer, she was too busy scanning a row of books. “Aha!” Mattie exclaimed, sliding a slim, unremarkable book from is place amongst large, extraordinary tomes.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but this isn’t just any office.”

Carmilla scoffed, “Of course not, I knew that as soon as I saw the elevators downstairs.”

“I was just making sure. After Mother’s unfortunate demise, I inherited her office and everything in it. You can imagine my surprise when I came across this little gem.” Mattie opened the ancient book, flipping the old, crumbling pages until she found a folded piece of paper being used as a page marker.

“What is it?” the brunette asked, curiosity gnawing at her.

“Here,” she held the book out to Carmilla, “go ahead and take a look.”

She accepted the book and began skimming the page.

“Through the ages, a single demon will have the power to command and lead the rest. The title of devil will be given to this individual, and with it the authority to control all who answers to them. In the event that the current devil is removed from power in any way, another will step up and assume the role. To do so and receive the abilities reserved for this leader, all opposition must be eradicated and absolute control must be gained. Only after these conditions are met can a new devil be crowned.”

The angel read and reread the passage before looking up at Mattie, “Ok, it says to make it official you just need to remove those opposing you. So like I asked before, why aren’t you?”

“Because of this,” she smiled, holding out the folded piece of paper.

Carmilla shot the demon a confused look as she carefully unfolded the ancient note. The sheet looked like piece of a page that had been ripped out of an atlas. The corner showed a map of the north-western United States with a hastily drawn circle around the area where Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming met. Carmilla recognized Mother’s elegant scrawl beside the marked land, making what was written even more confusing.

The brunette looked up from the page, “Is this serious?”

Mattie held her incredulous gaze, “Absolutely.”

“Well shit.”

-Laura-

There was entirely too much going on. She was trying to read the makeshift street signs while a female voice continued to remind her to ‘turn right on Rocky Street in three hundred feet’ and a constant beeping came from the dashboard as the screen continued to blink ‘CAUTION: ROAD MAY BE ICY’.

“No crap road may be icy, it’s below freezing…” Laura grumbled through clenched teeth as she carefully navigated the white powder that was doing a great job hiding the potholes that were a permanent part of life out here.

She groaned internally when she finally managed to park the car in front of an adorable house that stood about two hundred yards from a large red barn. She snuggled into her jacket and opened the door, icy wind nearly knocking her off of her feet. The blonde managed to shut the door and began shuffling her way toward the porch. On second thought, she turned around and gave the front tire a swift kick which had been a bad idea because now her foot hurt and the car hadn’t felt a thing. She glared and snorted at the SUV before turning and trekking through the snow to the porch again.

The offending vehicle wasn’t what she was annoyed at, in fact she kind of loved it. She was annoyed with Carmilla for buying it for her. The angel had turned her alarm off and snuck out hours before dawn to make it to the closest town with a car dealer. Laura had woken up more well rested than she had expected only to find out she had overslept by more than two hours. She had jumped out of bed so fast she gave herself a head rush. Grabbing jeans and a shirt, Laura flung the door open and was halfway into her pants when she hopped right into Carmilla who was entering the room holding two cups of coffee.

“Oh good, you’re up. I thought you were going to sleep all day.” The angel’s grin was content and the soft look her eyes took on when she saw Laura had abated her annoyance.

“Carm! I overslept! I am so late!”

“Woah, slow down there speed racer,” the brunette’s eyes crinkled as she laughed, steering the frantic blonde backwards so they both sat on the bed, “don’t worry about it. I’m the one who turned your alarm off.”

“What?” Laura’s voice went up an octave.

“Before you get mad hear me out,” the look she was giving Laura was just so darn cute she sighed and allowed her to explain, “yesterday was kind of a lot to happen at once so I decided you should sleep in. You of all people deserve it.”

Laura tilted her head as she began to agree with the angel, but stopped when Carmilla quickly added, “Plus it gave me some time to go get you your present.”

Her breath caught, “My what?”

“Oh come on, don’t look so scared. Come here,” she pulled the stunned blonde to her feet and stood behind her, covering Laura’s eyes with her hands. “Trust me, I won’t let you hit anything. Go ahead and walk.”

Curiosity getting the best of her, Laura did what she was told and felt the woman lead her out of the bedroom and into the living room, turning her to the right so she was facing the wall that held the front door as well as a window that looked out onto their little parking spot.

“I’m moving my hands but don’t open your eyes yet, okay?”

Laura grinned and played along, “Sure, go ahead.”

The hands moved from her face and she heard Carmilla scurry forward before the swish of the curtains opening.

“Okay, open your eyes!”

At first Laura saw only white, the sun was hiding which gave the snow a luminescent glow. She squinted her eyes and stepped closer, finally distinguishing a form from the powder covered scene in front of her.

“Is that a….” she began.

“Yup! Especially after yesterday, you need a car since it seems the jolly giant will be hoarding me to herself every other day or so OOOOF!”

Her explanation was cut short when Laura launched herself at an unsuspecting Carmilla. The blonde couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she held on tight, feeling the angel tense and then relax, folding her arms around her.

“Thank you so much Carm,” Laura’s voice muffled against the woman’s chest.

“”You’re welcome Creampuff,” she said as she peeled the grateful girl off of her, “now why don’t you go out and take a look at it?”

Laura squealed and spun around to find her boots before flinging herself at the door. Carmilla’s subtle ‘ehem’ made her turn to see the angel dangling a set of keys from an extended finger.

“You might need these.”

Unable to articulate her excitement, Laura squealed again as she snatched the keys and hurried out the door. She examined the small SUV, a jade green Subaru Forester that sat in their one parking spot. She unlocked the car and jumped into the driver’s seat, deeply inhaling the new car smell as the angel walked around and slid into the passenger seat.

“So, what do you think?” she asked as Laura began to play with all the buttons.

“Well, there is a lot here. What year is this? It has this touch screen so it has to be at least 2010…”

A chuckle from Carmilla turned Laura’s head, “Cupcake, I got you a NEW CAR. This is a 2016 Forester.”

“Oh my God, I can’t take this!” Laura began fumbling the keys trying to hand them back.

“What? Why not?”

“Because it has to be so expensive! I can’t afford monthly payments…”

“Laura, stop,” the blonde stopped her jabbering, “there aren’t any monthly payments. I paid it off.”

“Paid it off?” Laura’s voice squeaked, “How the frilly hell did you get enough money to pay for a brand new car which, from first glance, is definitely not a basic model.”

“Money isn’t a problem,” the angel scoffed, pulling a black card from her pocket, “money is a human thing, while we are here we just use these. Think of it as an unlimited bank account that doesn’t actually have anything in it.”

“Well then I definitely won’t take it!” she insisted, handing the keys back to the brunette, “if there isn’t money in the account you basically stole this car.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, “I didn’t steal it you pop tart, the car is completely paid for. With all the high tech electronics, a lot of your money is just numbers on a screen. This card simply gives them their numbers. Then when a human pays for something to the account the card is for, the numbers just go away so it equals out and there isn’t any mass inflation. It is economically stable and a very real way to pay, it’s only purpose is for us to not be hindered from what we are here to do simply because we don’t have the money for it.”

She paused, “That actually makes sense… but I still can’t take it.”

“Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t feel right. Not even taking into account that I have never owned anything this luxurious and high tech, I’m not going to accept something that wasn’t paid for with money that wasn’t eared through work. I don’t want to just coast by using money I didn’t earn to buy fancy things or pay rent, it doesn’t feel right.”

The eye roll she got as an answer was pretty incredible, “You do realize that you are getting aid from this account right? But fine, I won’t buy you anything with this card anymore. However you do have to keep this car, its value went down by about three thousand dollars the second I pulled it off the lot.”

Laura’s scowl directed at the car matched the one she had given Carmilla as she shot a final glare at the vehicle and knocked on the door. She stood there shivering for only a moment before the door swung inward to reveal a friendly looking woman with a smile on her face.

“Hello dear, you must be Laura. Come in, come in! You look frozen through!”

Laura allowed herself to be hustled into the cozy home, remembering to stomp her boots before stepping through the doorway. Immediately she was hit with what felt like a ton of bricks, but was actually two very welcoming dogs. The blonde laughed and gave each attention, letting them smell her and satisfy their initial curiosity.

“Come, let me take your coat and we will set you up by the fire. I hope you don’t mind dogs, they absolutely love people.” The woman was in full hostess mode, hanging her jacket and ushering Laura out of the entrance and into the adjoining living room barely giving her enough time to remove her boots.

“Here we go, have a seat on the couch. Here are blankets, put your feet up and I will go get you something to drink to warm you. Does coffee sound alright?”

“Ummm, do you have hot chocolate?”

The woman gave her a sweet smile before turning to walk out of the room, “Of course dear, I won’t be a moment.”

Laura took a deep breath, trying to catch up with this whirlwind of a woman. She looked around the room as the dogs settled as close to her as they could get, taking in the head of a buck mounted on the wall above the fireplace. The atmosphere was warm and inviting even with the howling wind that told a different story outside.

“Here you go dear,” the woman said, handing a steaming mug to Laura, “I’m sorry in advance, I know how to make a cup o’ Joe that will wake the dead but hot chocolate isn’t a request I get very often.”

“Oh please, don’t worry about it,” Laura assured her, “I don’t think it’s possible to make a bad cup of hot chocolate.”

She blew on the steaming liquid and took a sip.

_Well, I guess there is a first time for everything…_

Laura coughed to cover her wince at the watery drink, setting it on the end table out of reach of the sniffing noses following her every move.

She settled herself in an armchair across from Laura, “I’m sorry for the bustle, there is always a lot going on around here. I’m Mrs. Armitage but you can call me Sarah, and I hear you’re a friend of my Joey?” Laura paused, confusion must have been evident on her face, “Oh right, he likes to go by JP. I’ve never gotten used to that little nickname.”

“Oh, I didn’t actually know his given name. I’ve only known him as JP, sorry that confused me,” Laura scrambled to explain, “but yes. I actually met him in North Carolina a couple years ago, we worked at the same restaurant.”

“North Carolina? My, you sure have come a long way. Is it hard being so far away from your family?”

_Oh poop, I forgot to tell Dad I’m out here…_

“Kind of, I haven’t been so far away from my dad ever but at least it is only a few months.”

“Oh right, Joey told me you were researching for an article? I’m not sure how much help I will be but he said I might be able to assist you.” Sarah settled back into the chair and one of the dogs walked over and plopped by her feet.

“Well, I am actually here researching local legends and JP told me you’ve lived here your whole life so I figured who better to ask?” Laura shifted to grab her note pad and pen to take notes.

“Oh well then, you definitely came to the right person,” her eyes lit up at the subject, “What do you want to know?”

“Literally anything you want to tell me, stories or legends, jokes you play on tourists, I would love to hear it all!”

Mrs. Armitage grinned mischievously, “In that case, have you ever heard of the rare and elusive jackalope?”

\-----------------

Laura swung the door open enthusiastically, greeted by the entertaining sight of Carmilla making dinner. Who would ever imagine one of the most feared demons in history would one day be adorned in a ‘This Chef Accepts Kisses As Compliments’ apron as she glared at a sheet of cookies through an open oven door?

“Ummmm Carm? Is everything alright?” she asked in amusement, seeing the cookies were strewn all over the tray as well as a couple that had been thrown around the kitchen.

“How the hell do you humans take these cookies out of the oven if they are so fucking hot? I’ve given myself at least a half dozen second degree burns, and that was only after the first one that nearly melted my hand off!” The angel’s face was scrunched up in frustration.

Laura slowly leaned over and grabbed the pot holders from where they rested on the counter, looking the brunette in the eye as she used them to grab the sheet and place them on the unused side of the stove. She heard Carmilla grunt irritably as she turned to take stock of the mess that was what she assumed had been meant as dinner.

“I don’t know where those things came from, they weren’t there a minute ago!”

As soon as she turned the stove burners off and took the overflowing pots away from the heat, Laura turned and interrupted the angel’s mutterings with a kiss. Once she was sure she had her attention, the blonde pulled away and crinkled her nose in adoration.

“You’re so sweet for making dinner, but next time maybe you can keep the cooking inside of the pots?” she nodded toward the stovetop that was covered in a layer of hot water and partially burned on tomato sauce.

“I don’t know why this is so hard all of a sudden. I used to have no problem cooking, now unless it’s a slice of toast or scrambled eggs I’m useless!”

“Hey, it’s alright. You’ve been gone for a long time and you’ve had a lot more to deal with than how long to cook pasta,” she wrinkled her nose as she stuck a fork into a couple noodles that floated in boiling water and watched as they disintegrated, “I can give you a few lessons to get you back in the flow of things, the first of which will be on how long to cook spaghetti.”

Carmilla frowned as if she had forgotten about where she had been, “I don’t think we will have time for that anytime soon unfortunately.”

“Why not? Did you learn anything from Mattie?” her ears perked up.

“Yes, but while it isn’t immediately threatening it is very confusing and definitely important.”

“Ooooh I have something like that too,” they settled onto the couch, “you know I went to see JP’s mom like he suggested and she was a gold mine! Besides the fact that there are a lot of interesting legends out here, there is one that stood out. I had to write it down, it should be here somewhere…”

Laura muttered to herself as she searched her pockets, coming up empty.

“Well poo, I must have left it in the car. I’ll get it in a minute, but the gist of it is there is this cave inside of Idaho right? Except there are a lot of caves in Idaho so figuring out which one will be pretty hard, but it’s supposed to be huge so of course there is a legend about how it was created. There was this catchy saying that went with it, it was about this mountain and a weapon or something. Hold on, let me see if I can…” Laura paused when she saw Carmilla’s face drain of color. “Carm? Are you alright?”

Wordlessly the angel stood and walked to their bedroom, returning moments later with a folded piece of paper. She carefully unfolded the page and lay it out on the coffee table in front of them.

“Is this the saying you’re talking about?”

Confused, Laura leaned forward to look at the paper. It looked as though it had been torn from a larger map of the northeastern United States from hundreds of years ago if not more. The intersection of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho had been circled and someone had written a couple lines in looping calligraphic script. Screwing up her eyes to adjust to the unfamiliar font, Laura blanched when she began reading.

“Oh my God where did you find this?”

“Mattie gave it to me, she said she found it in Mother’s office after everything happened.”

“But how…” the blonde trailed off as Carmilla shook her head unable to answer the question.

Both women stared at the parchment that was yellow with age, reading the now ominous words that unquestionably played a large part in what was going on in this small town.

_Deep in the heart of this ever changing mountain_

_the most powerful weapon can be found,_

_Many will search though few will find,_

_and only the worthy will succeed,_

_The one true possessor will stand above the rest,_

_a true leader who gains strength with each defeat._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank you all again for being patient and even staying with me up to this point because it really means so much. Please feel free to add any constructive criticism in the comments section, they are much appreciated.  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	6. Back Off, I'll Take You On (Headstrong To Take On Anyone)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Carmilla takes no shit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Headstrong by Trapt
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Violence  
> Homophobia
> 
> Sorry for the wait, I edited this multiple times because something kept feeling off but I think I've got it and hopefully you are as happy with the events of this chapter as I am!

-Kirsch-

His heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest as he wrestled the door open against the howling wind and what felt like subarctic temperatures.

“Hi, I’m looking for Sheriff Straka…?” he clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking.

The officer sitting behind the front desk looked bored as she looked up from playing a game on her phone, “Is he expecting you?”

“I think so…” Kirsch began before a cheery voice interrupted him.

“Wilson Kirsch! I’m glad to see you made it!” Theo’s smile was contagious as he walked down the hallway, extending his hand to Kirsch.

“Hey man,” he grasped the sheriff’s hand firmly, “of course I made it. Thank you again for this.”

“No thank you, you’re actually the one helping me out,” he clapped Kirsch on the shoulder, turning him to the officer at the desk, “Karen, this is Kirsch. He is going to be our new dispatch operator.”

“Oh, nice to meet you Kirsch” she replied, standing to shake his hand with a smile on her face.

“Likewise ma’am.”

“Alright, you will have time to meet everyone later,” Theo inputted, “follow me and I’ll show you the ropes.”

He nodded and followed the shorter man down the hallway, turning into a room before going down another hallway. With each step, Kirsch felt his nervousness fade. This time they turned into the last door on the right, a small room that at first glance seemed to be made of electronics. There were two desks that ran along each wall, each holding a desktop computer with very complicated looking phones beside them.

“This is going to be your office,” Theo made a sweeping gesture showing the room that was small enough to be a closet, “feel free to decorate how you would like. Your desk is this one on the right. The other one is Rick’s, he is the only other operator and you will be working opposing twelve hour shifts.”

“Cool!” Kirsch exclaimed, throwing himself in his chair with enough force to make it spin a couple times.

“Well, I’m glad you think so because I’m sure you won’t be feeling the same way after five shifts a week.”

“Five? But if there is only two of us…” he counted on his fingers silently, “that doesn’t add up.”

Theo smiled, “You know, you’re smarter than you look. No, he does five shifts too. Until we find another operator to fill the gap, we will continue having officers make up the remaining time. That’s why I am so appreciative of you agreeing to start so quickly, I’ve barely gotten any sleep since Debby quit because we’ve all been sharing the shifts.”

“That makes sense, I’m just surprised no one else has jumped on this. It’s such good money.”

“It’s good money, but the hours are a pretty effective deterrent.”

“That’s a very good point.” Kirsch responded, swiveling his chair again. He tucked his legs in to make the chair spin faster but was stopped by Theo’s hand on the chair.

He looked up into the sheriff’s unwavering stare, “You know, you aren’t very good at hiding your intentions.”

Kirsch’s stomach sank as his earlier anxiety came crashing back down like a bucket of ice water, “I’m not sure what you mean…”

“Come on now Wilson, lying to your boss on the first day? Is that really the way you want to begin our work relationship?” Theo’s grin cut through him and Kirsch felt himself sink involuntarily under the weight of his gaze.

“Uh… no?”

The sheriff’s smug grin was making the man uneasy as he sat in his spinney chair, cornered in a closet of whirring machinery.

“Good answer,” Theo smiled, “keep that in mind as you work with me. I know who you are and I know you know who, or rather what, I am. I’m a reasonable man, and I have no intention of harming you. In fact, I look forward to working with you because you strike me as a fellow bro.”

Kirsch was frozen, unsure of what he should do or say as he watched the sheriff turn to leave. He walked through the door and said over his shoulder, “Make yourself comfortable and don’t forget to let me know if I can help you with anything. Good luck and welcome to the sheriff’s department.”

The door swung shut with a quiet click, leaving him stunned.

_I can’t tell if this is good or bad…_

-Danny-

“So are you going to tell me what is going on or are we literally only here to drink bad coffee and stare at each other?”

“Oh Danny, still as impatient as ever I see.” Mel’s eyebrows rose as she took a sip of her coffee across the table.

“I’m patient when I have time to be, however this is pretty time sensitive.” Danny shot back.

“You have more time than you think you do,” the demon stretched her neck lazily, “look outside. Nothing is going to happen around here anytime soon.”

Danny glanced over her shoulder at the never ceasing snowfall, annoyed that Mel was right. Up here in the mountains the winter put a stop to most things since you couldn’t be outside for much longer than an hour at a time.

“Fine, but that doesn’t make me any less curious as to what the hell you’re doing out here. And did I hear correctly that you are in this crazy arms race against Mattie and Theo?”

Unfazed, the woman took another sip of her coffee and broke off a piece of her croissant, popping it into her mouth. “A lot has happened since the last time we saw each other.”

“You don’t say, you’ve changed so much I feel like I don’t even know you anymore.”

“Me?” her eyebrows rose in disbelief, “I’m not the one who suddenly has a fiancé, not only that but one that is human and MALE. I always thought you preferred ‘innies’.”

Danny’s eyes rolled so hard Carmilla would have been impressed, “Oh please, you don’t honestly think this arrangement is real right? You know exactly what They do and the back stories They give us and we just run with it. I can assure you I am in no way into him.”

“Does he know that?” Mel asked giving the angel a meaningful look.

“What do you mean by that? Of course he knows, heck we can barely stand each other.” Danny bristled at the insinuation.

“Is that so?” Mel snorted into her cup, “then why is it that you are getting so defensive? I know you can feel his intentions just as well as I can and there is no way you actually believe what you just said.”

The angel opened and shut her mouth a couple times before finally looking down and muttering “Shut up…” under her breath.

The demon laughed loudly, not even pretending to try and be quiet as the few other people in the coffee shop with them glared in their direction. “Oh Danielle, I forgot how much I missed you.”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, shocking the woman into silence, “we aren’t friends, not anymore. I miss you too but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a demon and I can’t trust you. I wish we could turn back time, go back and be as close as we were but we can’t. I’m an angel and you’re a demon, there is no way a friendship between us could work.”

Mel’s face fell, her expression settling into neutral as she listened to Danny’s outburst. “I can’t say I blame you, but I am sad that’s what you are choosing.” She stood, grabbing her cup of steaming coffee to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?” Danny stood with her, concern showing on her face.

“You don’t trust me remember? So what good is speaking with you if you won’t even believe what I say?”

The angel froze, her mind racing to find words to say but she was coming up blank. Mel’s eyebrows rose as her point was made for her, “That’s what I thought. If you need me, you know where to find me.”

With that the demon turned and strode away, leaving Danny standing alone in the coffee shop unable to do anything as she watched her oldest friend walk away from her again.

-Carmilla-

“There is absolutely no way this is a coincidence,” Laura declared, “there is a reason we both heard about this. We have to tell everyone else!”

“Slow down there cupcake, remember what happened the last time we barged in with new information?” taking her blank stare as her answer, Carmilla went on, “We started a battle of the loudest voice that even after hours didn’t result in any new information. I don’t know about you but it’s barely been twenty four hours and I’m not ready for that again just yet.”

“You make a good point, so what do we do?”

“Well first of all you need to sit back down,” Carmilla gave the blonde a look as she settled back onto the couch, “good. Now we need to figure out what the heck this means.”

Laura grabbed the page and held it so they could both study it, “So what do we even do now?”

Before she could answer, Carmilla felt the incoming aura just in time to grab the paper and shove it under the cushion they were sitting on. Laura’s expression was confused for the half of a second it took for the front door to open.

“Hey love birds! I hope you don’t have any plans tonight because we are going out!” Lafontaine sang as they swung themselves into the apartment.

“Wait what?” Laura asked at the same time the angel said, “What the hell is there to do in the middle of nowhere at ten o’clock at night?”

Ignoring Laura’s question, they plopped on the couch and draped themselves over both of their laps. “Your favorite past time, after keeping the rest of us up all night if you know what I mean…” they shot Carm a knowing look and bounced up before her hands could grab the wiggly little deity.

“Get up, JP invited us out for a night on the town. We are going to the club!”

Carmilla snorted before she could stop herself, “Club? You have got to be kidding me, there aren’t any clubs around here.”

“I would ask if you wanted to bet on that but I don’t want to take your money so just get ready. We are all meeting upstairs in a half hour, don’t be late!” they winked at the pair on the couch before prancing out the door.

Laura glanced at her with puppy dog eyes and the angel already knew she wouldn’t be able to say no. “Fine…” the blonde had shot up as soon as the word crossed her lips, making Carmilla yell after her to finish her sentence, “but do you even have anything to wear?”

\-----------------

_This is so not a club…_

The angel dropped her head in an effort to not be associated with the group of idiots she was currently with walking with. It was barely an hour later as the friends piled out of the two cars they had taken in the dirt parking lot in front of a building that looked more like a house than a bar. They climbed the steps to the patio and made their way to the bouncer who guarded a door with The Painted Lady written with cheap neon bulbs above it.

Carmilla could feel the bass from the music blasting inside, though the obvious country twang made her wince. She had never been a fan of country music which was unfortunately the only music played on any radio station that reached this tiny town. Laura on the other hand, loved all kinds of music and was rediscovering her love for country music much to the angel’s chagrin.

The friends stepped up to the bouncer one at a time, handing him their ID’s and accepting their bracelets that showed they were over twenty-one. Once they had all gotten through the door and into the heated bar, each one of them shed their coats and hung them in the small closet just inside. The friends found themselves in an open room with the tables and chair pushed against the walls. An ‘L’ shaped bar took up the right portion of the room while to their left, the room opened up considerably to make room for a dance floor and a small stage. There were two counters with a handful of stools placed before them that seemed to separate the bar from the people dancing to what sounded like any other country song to the brunette.

As she looked around, Carmilla felt a hand on her arm and glanced over to see Laura looking at her expectantly. Beside her stood JP who was waving his hand in a ‘follow me’ gesture. She nodded and followed as he walked up to the bar and ordered drinks, paying for them and waiting as they were made. With the drinks on the bar in front of him, he picked one up and motioned for the rest to do the same before continuing across the room and through a doorway. Out of the corner of her eye, Carmilla noticed Lafontaine and Perry grab their drinks before peeling off to stay in the main room .

Across the threshold, a change machine stood in the corner on her left while to her right a small hallway went for a couple feet before making a left turn. The angel turned right down the hallway and around the corner where she saw Laura disappear. A couple of feet and there was another right turn before she pressed herself to the wall to allow for a few people to pass going the other way, taking the moment to down her drink in one practiced gulp. There was a step down and another left turn before the passage rose gradually and opened into another, smaller room.

A group of men that looked like someone had googled ‘lumberjack’ and taken the first pictures that came up played pool at the table situated in the center of the room that had booths running along two of the walls. Two electronic dart boards hung on the wall in the back left corner beside an arcade style game. JP waved to the men who all had full beards in varying hair colors (even though they couldn’t have been more than twenty-two) as he continued against the right wall, turning to ascend the staircase that led up the wall to a loft-style addition to the room. A metal railing followed the stairs to the top and continued to separate the loft from the six foot drop to the room below.

Carmilla was the last up the stairs, joining Laura, JP, Kirsch, and Danny. The loft contained four more pool tables as well as a jukebox and a couple chairs, only one table remained open.

“I’m not sure how much any of you like country music, but if you don’t want to be out there this is pretty much the game room.” JP explained, sweeping his hand as if he were showing off a new car won by some lucky gameshow contestant.

“Sweet!” Kirsch laughed, raising his voice to be heard over the music, “Let’s play some pool!”

Carmilla ignored the tables, her eyes landing on the jukebox and sending thanks to whichever person had decided to install it. She made her way over to the machine and began tapping on the touch screen which prompted her to enter keywords to search through its music collection. She felt Laura come up behind her and wrap her arms around her waist, her body pressed against the angel’s back sending a shiver of pleasure up her spine.

Her hair stood on end when she felt the blonde push her hair to the side and gently kiss her neck, smiling as she whispered in her ear, “What’re you doing?”

_How is it even possible for me to love her more every single time I’m with her?_

She tapped the screen one last time before spinning and pressing her body flush against Laura’s, “Playing some music we can dance to Cutie.”

The music that had been playing slowly faded away and the first notes of a new song began to sound from various speakers around the room. The sound of music that wasn’t country had many heads turning in confusion but Carmilla ignored their stares. She pulled Laura to the open space between the wall and where the pool tables began. She stopped and continued pulling the girl, at the last second changing her momentum to snap her so that they stood chest to chest.

_Bed, stay in bed_

_The feeling of your skin locked in my head_

_Smoke, smoke me broke_

_I don’t care, I’m down for what you want_

Carmilla smiled and swayed slightly with the words, waiting for the tempo to increase as the chorus came closer.

_Now if we’re talking body_

_You got a perfect one, so put it on me_

As soon as it started, the brunette turned and began grinding on Laura. She laughed at just how quickly and how completely the blonde became turned on. To her right she saw Kirsch drop his pool stick to pull Danny out to dance next to them, the angel looked uncomfortable at first but began to relax when the man’s horrible dancing made her giggle.

Immediately she felt Laura’s hesitation, causing her toturn and face her again. Trying to ease her fear, Carmilla began sliding sensuously up her body until they were face to face, “Cupcake its ok, I won’t let anything happen to us. If they have a problem with us then they can take it up with me. Relax and let’s just dance, okay?”

Laura’s uncertainty began to ebb, replaced by a confident smile, “You’re right. Let’s just have some fun and screw what they think!” Her aura turned mischievous as she lifted her hands and ran them through Carmilla’s hair.

The angel was caught off guard, the last time they had danced had been in the club in North Carolina and Laura definitely hadn’t done anything like that back then. Any other thoughts were lost as Laura pulled their bodies flush together.

She winked at her before taking her bottom lip between her teeth and sucking on it. As the angel felt herself become instantly wet, Laura grasped her wavy locks in her fists before slowly pulling her head back to expose her throat. Carmilla’s breath caught when she felt Laura’s lips nipping their way down her neck and across her collar bone.

Carmilla was ripped back to the present when multiple wolf whistles sounded to their left. She turned to glare at the men who they had passed playing pool a few minutes ago. They were standing near the stairs watching them dance, their whistles transforming into provocative taunting.

 “Yeah girl, get it!”

“Let me get in on that next!”

“Hell yeah that’s how girls should dance!”

The angel clenched her fists at her sides, taking deep breathes to remain calm and retain control of her emotions as Danny had been incessantly reminding her to. She felt her friends watching her, waiting to see how she would react to the men jeering at them. Using every ounce of her patience, Carmilla turned away from the group of raucous idiots.

“Right, well that’s my cue to go get more drinks. Who wants a refill?” Carmilla asked her friends who looked at each other before raising their hands.

She caught Danny’s eye and gestured for the angel to come with her for the drinks. Turning, Carmilla pushed through the group of men amidst calls of “Hey babe, maybe next time you and your friend can come to my place and dance with me?” Very conscious of her red headed watch dog, the brunette stuck her middle finger in the air and continued walking which just started a new wave of jeering and laughter.

“I must say, I am proud of you not doing anything to them,” Danny remarked as they made their way back to the bar.

“Yeah whatever, they do anything like that again and I’m not letting it go though.”

Danny nodded distractedly as she seemed to search the faces in the room with a long face. The brunette ordered another round of drinks before turning to her friend.

“Hey Gigantor, is everything alright?” Carmilla asked nonchalantly as they watched the bartender make their drinks.

“Yeah, everything’s fine…” Danny trailed off forlornly.

“You know, after our first lesson I pegged you for a better liar than that. If you’re going to lie to me don’t half-ass it, it’s insulting that you think I would believe that. Come on, what’s wrong? ”

The angel sent her a glare before sighing, “It’s Mel, we used to be friends before she fell and now our relationship is… complicated.”

Carmilla snorted, “Well that’s an understatement, from what I heard you are the reason she fell.”

“I am not responsible for her fall, she is.” Danny snapped, her eyes flashing angrily.

Carmilla raised her hands in mock surrender, “Woah, calm down there Clifford, I was just repeating what I heard.” The bartender lined up the drinks they had ordered in front of them, backing away quickly when Carmilla threw a fifty at him and growled at him to ‘keep the change’.

Her gaze never wavered from Danny’s face as she continued their conversation as if they hadn’t been interrupted, “Spill it, you aren’t fooling me.”

Danny groaned, pulling out a seat which Carmilla imitated. “I just don’t know what to do with her! I’ve known her since creation and she is still saying she is my friend but after what happened? How am I supposed to react to her?”

The brunette barely let her finish speaking before cutting in, “Well that’s the first problem Carrot Top, you aren’t.”

“I’m not what?” Danny looked completely lost.

“You aren’t supposed to react. You say you have been friends with her for as long as you can remember?” the angel nodded, trying to figure out where this was going, “So then what is the problem?”

“The problem is that I can’t trust her after that…”

“Exactly,” Carmilla cut her off, “the problem is you, not her.” Danny opened her mouth to defend herself but the brunette wouldn’t let her, “No, listen to me. Yes she fell, yes she is a demon now and yes, that changes things, but what hasn’t changed really? Hell, you are talking to the first demon ever to not be erased from existence when she died and instead came back as an angel. You think that was something easily accepted you would be very wrong. But you know what? I worked with what I had. I rolled with the punches and now the angel who I have barely been able to stand looking at for all eternity is teaching me how to be anything but disgraced hell spawn again. A very smart person once told me not to react, but to respond, and before you get all smug yes that was you and yes it was yesterday, get over it. The point is that she isn’t the only one who has changed, but she is the only one of you not letting those changes blind her from seeing her friend. You don’t have a problem trusting your friend, you have a problem trusting a demon and that’s where you’re going wrong. You don’t have to be a human to be more than what you have been labeled, so stop judging her for not doing what you would have done had you been in her shoes, get the fuck over yourself, and go get your friend back you idiot!”

Carmilla sucked in a big breath as she finished her speech and grinned, satisfied at the expression of absolute shock that had Danny’s jaw on the floor. She stood when her superior remained silent and picked up the drinks that were still sitting on the bar in front of them, “Right, well take whatever time you need but I’m taking these back before the ice melts and ruins them.”

Carmilla spun and walked toward the hallway, hiding her surprise at what had just transpired.

_A former demon scolding an angel? I hope pigs haven’t started flying because I’ve always loved using that comment…_

-Laura-

She yelped with joy, jumping up and down and nearly poking Kirsch’s eye out with her cue. He caught the stick just before it hit him, redirecting it slowly toward the ground.

“Uh Laura? Not to ruin your celebration, but the white ball is the only one you AREN’T supposed to hit into the pocket…” JP remarked before being silenced by a quick glare from Kirsch.

“Don’t listen to him Laura, you made one in! Good job you are totally going to be schooling me soon!” Laura smiled at the man and caught the high five he aimed at her.

“Hey, Carm and Danny have been gone for a while. Think they got lost?” the blonde speculated, leaning over the railing slightly to look at the hallway they would be returning from. The moment the angels walked away, Laura had been bathed in anxiety about what the men might do now that Carmilla had left. Thankfully JP knew them and after a quick muted conversation with multiple glances and gestures in her direction, they returned to their pool game below without another word to her.

“I’m sure they’re fine, this place isn’t that complicated. Kirsch do you think you can go on without me? I’m going to go check for them but I don’t want to come back to us losing.” JP punched his shoulder jokingly.

Laura laughed, “I’m sure he can hold his own against me, go ahead.”

JP nodded before jogging down the stairs and down the hallway. Laura returned her attention to the game and began to line up her next shot when a deep voice came from behind her.

“Well hello there little lady,” the country twang made his voice sound like honey. She turned to see the same group of men who had been harassing them earlier, the leader of the pack smiling disgustingly at her, “I hope I’m not interrupting but I couldn’t help but notice you look a little outnumbered in your game there. Did your boyfriend not teach you how to play pool?” he nodded in Kirsch’s direction as he spoke.

“Boyfriend? Oh no, he isn’t my boyfriend…” Laura began causing the man to grin.

“Not your boyfriend?” he mimicked, arrogantly strutting over to her, “Well that’s good because if he was I would have had to teach him how women should be treated. Your drink has been empty for quite some time and your ‘friend’ has been gone for a while, maybe I can go get you another?”

Laura shrunk away from his invasion of her personal space, “No thank you…”

“Don’t be like that darling, I am just offering to buy you a drink. Let me start over, I’m Eric…”

Picking up on her discomfort, Kirsch came to stand next to Laura and crossed his arms, showing his muscles defensively, “Back up dude, she said no thank you.”

Laura had to crane her neck to look at the two men, Kirsch standing over six feet tall was still shorter than this mountain of a man. Eric pushed his way into Kirsch’s face threateningly, “What did you say to me boy?”

“You heard me bro, back up.”

“Guys stop, you don’t need to…” Laura tried to push between them, knowing that big brother Kirsch had come out and would have no reservations about defending her even against four humongous men.

“Is there a problem here boys?”

Every head turned in unison toward the stairs where Carmilla was walking sultrily toward them with a single eyebrow raised questioningly, drinks balancing expertly in her arms. The tension eased slightly as everyone watched Carmilla carefully set the drinks down on the edge of the forgotten pool table. She strode over to Laura’s side which caused both Eric and Kirsch to move and give them room since the three of them were practically on top of each other. She slid her arm around Laura’s shoulders protectively, “Is there something wrong?”

Eric smiled patronizingly at her, “Of course not honey, don’t worry your pretty little head,” he winked at her before turning back to Kirsch, “just give me a moment and I will be right with you.”

Laura and Kirsch both winced at the mistake he didn’t even realize he had made as the brunette’s humorless smile never faltered, “That’s nice but I wasn’t talking to you. Kirsch, is everything alright?”

“Just fine, Eric and his buddies were just leaving.”

The man laughed mockingly, “Leaving? No, we’re just trying to be friendly and he is the one who started something.”

“Well, were you invited over here to ‘be friendly’?” Carmilla asked pointedly, removing her arm from Laura’s shoulders approach the man.

“No but…”

“And were you given the impression that you were wanted to stay?”

“What, no because this guy…”

Carmilla calmly cut him off, “Then why are you still here?”

“Because I was just trying to be polite and introduce myself when this douche got aggressive.”

“I only got aggressive because he was making Laura uncomfortable and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Ah, and there it is,” Carmilla mused, her steely gaze never leaving the man before her.

At that moment JP came jogging up the stairs, “Oh crap…” he muttered to himself when he saw the tense interaction before him.

“Well thank you for the introduction but I think it’s about time for you to move along and leave us alone.” Carmilla stepped back, her arm encircling Laura’s waist to pull her closer, “I’m surprised you even have to be told again after my very obvious ‘fuck off’ I sent in your direction earlier.”

Eric turned to look at his buddies to make sure they were laughing along with him before replying, “Well ain’t you cute sweetheart, I like your spunk. Maybe you and your friend want to take the party back to my house…” he sneered at the two girls as if they were pieces of select meat for him to peruse.

JP stepped forward to intervene but was unintentionally cut off by Carmilla who snorted with disbelief, “You can’t be serious. Do you really think either of us would want to go anywhere with a self-absorbed asshole like you, especially one so oblivious as to miss that you are the furthest thing from our type that you can physically get?”

Eric looked like he had been slapped in the face, “What’re you talkin’ about? Are you two homos together or something?” When Carmilla’s eyebrow rose silently in answer, the man hooted, “Well what do you know boys, we found ourselves some lezzies! Go on, give her a kiss! Hell why don’t we all go somewhere and we can have ourselves some fun…”

Laura’s heart felt like a snare drum and she knew by the heat in her cheeks that her face was turning red with anger. Feeling her discomfort, the brunette tightened her arm around Laura and began miming vomiting at the man’s words, “Oh God don’t say stuff like that, you’re going to make me hurl.”

Eric’s smile faltered as his face began to turn a vibrant shade of red, “What do you know? You are only a homo because you haven’t been with a real man. Come on darling I can fix that for you real quick…” he stepped forward menacingly to grab Carmilla’s arm, “we will show you how a man should make you feel, right fellas?”

Carmilla took a deep breath, obviously doing her best to control her temper, “So let me get this straight; if you get to ‘watch’ two women fuck each other for your own sexual gratification it’s sexy, but if they want nothing to do with you and your hypocritical theology then they are unnatural sinners who are going to hell?”

She stared right at him, never looking away as she watched his face turn even more red as she called him out. Laura felt nauseous with fear, unable to take her eyes away from where Eric had his hand wrapped around Carmilla’s left forearm as his lackeys whistled and cheered their support behind him.

With a calmness that somehow worried her even more than the threatening men in front of them, Carmilla turned her head slightly, “Kirsch? Please take Laura.”

Wordlessly he obeyed, wrapping his arms around Laura and dragging her back from the angel’s side. However as he did so, Eric’s other hand shot out and hooked onto Laura’s arm to keep her in place.

It didn’t even take him a second to realize he had done the one thing that would use the last of Carmilla’s patience.

Laura nearly missed what happened next because it happened so quickly. His fingers had barely even made contact with her arm before a sickening snap echoed through the room followed by an agonized shriek. Carmilla had grabbed his fingers in mid-air and broken multiple bones with the flick of her wrist.

“HOLY SHIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!” Eric dropped to his knees and was screaming in pain with his arm bent sharply behind him. The only sound besides Eric’s agonized moans was the music wafting its way down the hallway. All eyes were glued to the brunette now standing above a man who until mere moments ago had been towering over her. His wrist and multiple fingers hung at unnatural angles as he struggled against Carmilla’s iron grip that kept him in a submissive position with his arm twisted up behind his back. His friends stared unmoving behind them, shocked at the turn of events.

“Oh Eric,” Carmilla sang sweetly, “you really shouldn’t touch people when they don’t want to be touched. It makes them very uncomfortable, kind of like the way you’re feeling now…”

The man coughed painfully, barely managing to mutter “fucking bitch” before Carmilla gave his arm a small tug that turned his threat into another shout of pain.

“See now that’s what I am talking about, calling people names isn’t very nice.” She paused to wind her fingers into his hair, pulling his head back so that he was looking directly at Laura, “Now be a good boy and apologize for your abhorrent behavior.”

Laura could tell he wouldn’t be doing any such thing and before he could even open his mouth, his friends snapped out of their shock. She didn’t have a chance to warn Carmilla that they were coming before the brunette dropped Eric and in a single move grabbed one of the drinks she had returned with. The liquid splashed in the face of the first unlucky guy who was approaching her from behind.

He yelled in surprise and pain as the alcohol burned his eyes before a low kick from the angel swept him off of his feet. He went down with a thump, allowing the man with the black hair behind him to access Carmilla. He reached out to grab her but wasn’t nearly quick enough. The brunette skipped out of his reach, grabbing a pool cue at the skinny end and swinging it like a baseball bat. The solid end connected with the second man’s face, snapping the cue and knocking him out cold. She dropped the broken stick and grabbed for another one, spinning it expertly like some martial arts master.

Laura saw Kirsch’s hand shoot out and grab JP’s arm as he rushed forward to jump into the fray, pulling him back with a shake of his head warning him not to get involved. She looked back at the brawl in time to see Eric struggling to get to his feet with the help of the first man.

It didn’t seem like Carmilla noticed as she had her back turned to them, keeping her eyes on the last man who was making his way around the pool table to get to her. Just before the he reached her, Eric with his one hand hanging uselessly by his side and his only other conscious friend tackled the angel from behind. Carmilla disappeared beneath the two men and between the tables, effectively breaking Laura’s line of sight.

“Carm!” she shrieked involuntarily as she began struggling to free herself from Kirsch’s grasp.

She heard running footsteps and glanced back over the railing to see Danny running full speed to the stairs. Kirsch pulled her and JP out of Danny’s path in time for her to run by them. Using the distraction, Laura pulled out of his grip and ran after the new arrival.

The split second before either of them turned into the aisle made by the tables, Danny held her arm out to stop Laura’s momentum. In that instant, Eric went flying by her face exactly where she would have been had Danny not stopped her. He hit the wall with a thud and slumped against it unconscious.

She turned back to the fray in time to see the blonde one collapse, his face bright red and his eyes wide in pain as his hands clutched his groin much too late to protect himself. Carmilla was on her back on the ground with the last one above her futilely trying to push his way past her legs that held him at bay. With a smirk, she unlocked her knees when he lunged and kicked upward, using his momentum to fling him head first over the railing just behind her. There was a split second of silence before a loud THUMP told everyone the final man had hit the floor below.

Everyone who had witnessed the brawl stood in shock at the outcome, the silence broken only by JP’s incredulous “Holy. Shit.”

The brunette sat up, taking the hand Laura had offered to get to her feet with a satisfied smile on her face. She brushed herself off and glanced at Danny who hadn’t moved from the corner of the tables, “Don’t look so stressed, I took care of them just fine by myself.”

The redhead groaned as Carmilla ran her fingers through her hair that was somehow still frustratingly perfect, “Damn it Carmilla, what were you thinking?”

She rolled her eyes, ignoring her question for Laura, “Hey, are you alright?”

She laughed, “Are you serious? You just single handedly took out four enormous men and you’re asking ME if I’m alright?”

The brunette smiled lovingly, raising her hand to cup Laura’s cheek, “Of course I am silly, I’m definitely not asking these idiots…” she glanced around at the men who were either unconscious or at least in too much pain to get up.

“Carmilla, this is serious!” Danny interrupted their moment, “You just physically harmed these hum… people.” The angel glanced around at the faces watching her making sure no one had caught her slip, “Do you have any idea the trouble you are in?”

Before Carmilla could open her mouth, a voice from behind them answered for her, “I would say quite a bit…”

All three of them swung around to see who had spoken, their eyes landing on an entirely too amused man in a police uniform.

“Theo?” Kirsch muttered in surprise when he saw the man.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid I am going to have to place you under arrest. Please turn around and lay on the floor, face down with your hands on your head.”

“What? I’m not going to…”

“Carmilla that’s enough, do as he says.” Danny hissed at the woman beside her, not taking her narrowed eyes off of the officer.

The angel’s sudden change in demeanor confused Laura, and apparently shocked Carmilla enough to keep her from arguing. The angel turned and dropped to her knees, laying on her stomach and placing her hands on the back of her head as everyone looked on.

“Good, now ladies please step away from her.”

They silently obeyed, stepping past the man as he walked forward calmly and confidently. He bent down to bring Carmilla’s hands down one at a time, locking them into the handcuffs he procured from his belt. Once she was incapacitated, the man pulled her to her feet and led her out from between the tables as he began to recite her rights to her.

Laura felt Danny’s hand on her arm stopping her from following after them, “Laura no, she will be fine. Come on, let’s round everyone up and go home.”

She nodded silently, stepping around the EMTs who were running in to help the men slumped in various parts of the room. Out of Danny’s hold Laura made a beeline past Kirsch and down the stairs, jogging down the hall and through the main room. The second she exited the building the frigid air took the breath right out of her but Laura didn’t care. She walked to the railing and watched as the demon masquerading as sheriff pushed her angel into the back of the police car.

The bright red and blue lights flashing on the car hurt her eyes in contrast to the night, but she never flinched. Just as he opened his door to get into the driver’s seat, Theo stared directly at her and winked knowingly. Laura felt her stomach drop to the floor, fearful of what he might do to Carmilla should they be alone together. The car swung around to face the road, passing by the porch where Laura stood. A street light did a mediocre job of illuminating the two people in the car. Carmilla stared at her from the back seat, pleading with her not to do anything rash.

_I swear to God, touch a single hair on her head and I will personally make sure you regret it._

She had barely finished the thought when the car jerked to a stop right in front of her and the automatic window rolled slowly down. “Don’t go making promises you can’t keep…” Theo’s smile was full of gloating, throwing her a knowing wink before pulling out onto the road and driving out of sight.

She growled in frustration as she walked back into the bar to find her friends, impatient to come up with a plan to free Carmilla.

_Stupid demons and their stupid aura reading…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	7. But I Found In You What Was Lost In Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Carmilla surprises Laura in the fluffiest way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Dark On Me by Starset
> 
> I would like to proudly present to you a good portion of the fluff that I have been promising you since the end of part 1! Sit back and enjoy!

-Laura-

As the weeks passed, her fear for Carmilla’s safety faded into annoyance at the repercussions of that night. Danny had been right, nothing horrible had happened beyond Carmilla spending a night in jail before posting bail and being assigned community service. The only problem was how quickly the news had spread around the small town. Apparently, the people around here didn’t take too kindly not only to gays, but especially those who had wiped the floor with four ‘kind, God-fearing’ young men.

The icy winter months slowly grew warmer, the sun came out of hiding as the white landscape melted into miles and miles of green. Now that the snow wasn’t falling around the clock, the sky spread farther than Laura had ever seen. There were no buildings or towers marring the visibility to the point that you could look out to the mountains about fifty miles away and see it raining while Evanston had no clouds to speak of.

Everyday Laura and Carmilla went out to speak to the locals as they did everything they could to get any information on the legend that the devil had deemed important enough to make note of. Unfortunately, they had absolutely no leads after months and months of work thanks to their notoriety in the area stemming from Carmilla’s arrest.

It was now mid-May and the frustration was palpable amongst the group. The angel had apologized profusely and Laura had told her months ago not to worry about it, she had no idea that standing up for her that night would have the effect it did. It had gotten to the point where they had finally brought the paper to the group’s attention to see if they had any better luck.

 “Come on guys, no one has ANY ideas?” Laura groaned burying her face in her hands, “What are we going to do?”

Around her were Kirsch, Danny, Perry, and Lafontaine, all of which were giving her sympathetic looks.

“Well, maybe Perry and Danny can try asking around? The people don’t have a problem with them so they might open up…” Kirsch volunteered.

“That’s actually a really good idea…” Danny remarked..

At her compliment, Kirsch turned his head to try and hide the idiotic smile that grew on his face.

“That might work, but then what should Carmilla and I do?”

It was at that moment that the only person missing from their group meeting strode through the door. Carmilla was wearing khaki shorts and a royal blue tank top, smelling like she had just taken a bath in sunscreen.

“Hey sleepy head, welcome back to the land of the living!” Laura joked, referring to how she had left the still unconscious Carmilla to come to this strategy meeting.

“Actually Laura, I wasn’t sleeping…” the angel looked nervous, a smile playing around her lips as she avoided her eyes, “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” the blonde asked, noticing the idiotic smiles that were plastered on everyone’s faces, “Am I the only one not in on this?”

Lafontaine snorted, “Of course, now get out of here! You two love birds have fun!” They waved their hands, shoeing the women out the door and shutting it firmly behind them.

Still trying to catch up with what was happening, Laura turned to Carmilla, “So, what is this exactly?”

She smiled and began to walk around the house and down the slope to their apartment, “Since we got here we have both been working nearly nonstop. So today I am kidnapping you and we are going to have a day to ourselves. We are going hiking and I have everything packed and ready, you just need to get changed and we can go.”

Laura let out a gleeful sound, catching the brunette’s hand and pulling her back and into a hug, “How did you know I love hiking? Give me five minutes!” Laura released her before taking off down the driveway, nearly tripping over her own feet to get ready.

\------------------------

An hour later the girls were turning onto a small dirt road, the jeep bouncing through the potholes as they officially went off the grid. Laura had barely been able to contain her excitement, especially after she had found a pair of brand new hiking boots waiting for her on the bed. She had them strapped on in record time before realizing she still had to change but once that was done they were back on.

“I’m so excited I haven’t been hiking in so long!” the blonde babbled as she watched the trees race past her window.

Carmilla grinned like a sap, “I know, that’s part of why I chose to bring you hiking.”

“Only part of it?”

“Yes ma’am” the angel gave her a pointed look telling Laura she wouldn’t be getting any more out of her for now.

After a while, the maze of dirt roads brought them to a small campsite with no open parking spaces. Grumbling to herself, the brunette continued past the parking lot and parked on the side of the road in a line of other vehicles.

Laura was up and out of the car before it was even in park, rummaging through the backseat for the backpacks Carmilla had packed.

She felt her come up behind her, reaching around to grab the larger of the two bags.

“Do I even want to know how heavy that one is?” Laura asked as she settles the straps of the smaller backpack over her own shoulders.

“Just suffice it to say you will definitely want to be carrying that one,” Carmilla remarked, “are you ready Buttercup?”

“Am I ever! Lead the way!”

The angel grinned, turning toward the trail head but not fast enough to hide the blush Laura saw creep into her cheeks.

The women followed a short, curving trail until they reached the parking lot they had passed. Finding the actual trail head, they took a moment to look at the sign that read:

 Lakes County Trail

Long Lake – 2

Island Lake – 3

Big Elk Lake – 6

“So, are you up for the long hike?”

“I might have to take a break or two but absolutely!” Laura hopped excitedly from one foot to another, anxious to get started.

“Great, let’s go then.” the brunette grinned before starting down the trail that began behind the sign.

She had to admit, hiking in the Rockies was an entirely different level of hiking. The climbs steeper and the sun more powerful had Laura taking a quick break to reapply sunscreen every hour or so. By the time they reached what had to be Long Lake, Laura’s legs were screaming at her to sit down and stay down.

Not fooled by her resilient façade, Carmilla had them stop for a little while beside the lake. Beside the shore an enormous tree lay propped against a boulder, creating a perfect opportunity for a playful photo shoot. Satisfied with the pictures they had, the women made their way over to where small waves licked at the large rock slabs that formed the shoreline.

She watched as the angel walked right up onto one of the stones and settled herself on it. Carmilla made a ‘come here’ motion before removing her backpack and rolling her now free shoulders. The blonde flopped gracelessly beside her, peeling her sweat soaked shirt from where is stuck to her body and flapped it trying to air it out and cool herself down.

She dragged her arm across her forehead to wipe away the sweat before it dripped in her eyes and removed two thermoses filled with ice water before discarding the bag behind her. Laura looked up to hand one of the containers to the brunette but paused, watching with curiosity as Carmilla removed her socks and placed them in her hiking boots.

“What are you doing?” Laura wondered aloud, trailing off as she watched Carmilla dip her bare feet into the water and sigh with delight.

“Oh God that feels amazing…” she moaned, her eyes closed with pleasure.

Laura’s shoes were off in an instant and immersed up to her knees in the cool water.

“Oh wow, I have never felt anything so incredible.”

Carmilla’s face became dramatically horrified and she placed her hand over her heart, “Never? Ouch, good thing I have you to keep my ego in check…”

She snorted, giving the brunette a playful shove, “You know exactly what I meant.”

Laura felt her heart skip a few beats as she watched Carmilla’s head fall back and laugh. The angel was leaning backward on her hands, relaxed and comfortable in a way that Laura would never get used to. Her laughter was abrupt and ended as quickly as it began, but in its wake left a smile that had the woman’s eyes crinkling up at the corners.

The sight of happy and carefree Carmilla filled her with a loving warmth.

_Ok but really, what did I ever do to deserve her?_

She hadn’t even finished the thought when the angel turned her head, looking Laura in the eye as she replied to the unspoken comment, “Trust me, I feel the exact same way.”

Feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, Laura grabbed the water that was still sitting next to her and held it out to Carmilla. “How about we eat lunch and then get going again?”

“Sure, that sounds like a great idea.”

She breathed a sigh of relief to herself, there were way too many people around to let that line of thought to go any further. The day was absolutely perfect, sunny with a cool breeze that played with the long, wavy raven locks Carmilla had pulled into a high ponytail. Each time her hair stirred, Laura had to remind herself to breath.

Finishing their lunch, the pair resignedly removed their feet from the refreshingly cool water and continued on their way. Their hike only got better as the day went on, reaching Island Lake pretty quickly.

After fooling around and taking their share of pictures, the girls consulted a trail map. The chart showed the trail looking like an elongated loop on a stick, the base of the ‘stick’ being the trailhead. After about a mile and a half, the trail came to a fork and did a complete circle which returned them to the intersection via whichever trail you didn’t chose the first time. The pair had gone right and had seen the first two lakes, and the distance between where they stood and Big Elk Lake seemed like just as far as they had already come.

Laura groaned as she saw how much further they had to hike, “We’d better get going, it’s getting late and we’re barely halfway done.”

Carmilla’s mouth turned up in a grin, bowing slightly and gesturing her arm toward the trail, “After you m’lady.”

She tilted her head up haughtily and swept by her, playing along with the angel’s cheeky response. Carmilla smiled, humored that the blonde had kept the joke going.

But as soon as she made her way past the angel, she saw the smile fall from her face. It was only a glimpse out of the corner of her eye, but Laura was able to make out the expression that had replaced the grin as one of discomfort.

_Now what is that about?_

-Carmilla-

Arms aching from carrying a backpack that had been growing steadily heavier and legs that somehow felt like Jell-O from a mere six mile hike, Carmilla followed Laura through an opening in the trees. Spread out before them, Big Elk Lake reflected the sun as it continued it’s decent in the late afternoon hour.

“Wow I really need to get back in shape,” Laura wheezed, rotating a leg in the air to loosen the aching muscle, “you know there was a time when I ran long distance for fun? Now I get winded from a hike…”

“Well, maybe we can make a point to go running or whatever you want to do to get back in shape.”

“That’s an amazing idea, but maybe we can do it without heavy backpacks?” Laura suggested, nodding at the pack strapped to Carmilla’s back, “Speaking of backpacks please tell me you have some kind of vehicle in there because the sun will be going down in less than an hour and there is no way we are going to make it back before dark.”

The angel snorted, “Sorry Cupcake, I don’t have a fast and easy way out of here but I do have the next best thing.”

“Next best thing? Is it a cell phone that actually has a signal out here in the middle of nowhere so we can call someone to come pick us up? Because I passed dead on my feet a couple dramatic sighs ago…” Laura leaned comically against a rock formation, resting the back of her hand against her forehead like a nineteenth century woman with the vapours.

“Oh you poor thing!” Carmilla joked, sweeping the girl up into her aching arms.

Adjusting her weight, the angel began to walk toward the trees to her left.

“Hey wait! Where are we going?” Laura tried to wiggle free but the brunette pinned her flailing limbs with relative ease.

“Calm down Creampuff, just relax I have something I want to show you.”

The movement stopped immediately as curiosity began eating away at the blonde’s aura. The trail had ended at the top of a hill that sloped inward like a bowl. A few trails wound their way down the hill where hikers would descend to reach the lake itself, however Carmilla ignored them and made her way around the edge of the slope. Finding the spot she had been looking for, she stepped off the path and carried Laura up another tree lined slope. After a couple minutes the arbors thinned and opened to a spacious ledge that not only overlooked the lake but also out to where the sun was setting in a flourish of orange and yellow.

Laid out before them was a complete campsite with a tent and makeshift fire pit, and set up near the edge was an air mattress set up with a pile of pillows.

Carmilla paused to let her partner take in the surprise. Laura was cradled to her chest, looking up at her with those deep brown eyes, “We’re staying out here tonight?”

“I mean, if that’s alright with you…” Carmilla did her best to keep her uncertainty hidden, she had a lot riding on this.

“Of course it is!” Laura exclaimed enthusiastically, picking up on the angel’s doubt, “I was just surprised is all. Come on, put me down and we can watch the sunset!” Carmilla gently set the girl on her feet as she worked to calm her racing heart. “Did you bring blankets?”

“Well I have a double sleeping bag that is ridiculously comfortable if I do say so myself, which I do.” Carmilla grinned to cover the butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach.

Removing her backpack, the angel grabbed the sleeping bag she had packed and laid it out on the mattress. She swept her hand to the bed but Laura had already taken a running start to jump on the cushion. Carmilla barely had time to yell, “Laura don’t!” before there was a pop and the hiss of escaping air as Laura’s eyes grew wide.

The damage done, the brunette took a breath and finished her sentence, “… there are rocks under it and it could pop.”

“I. Am. So. Sorry.”

The look of dismay that had taken over her face was somehow able to cure the anxiety in Carmilla’s gut as she bent over laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You!” the angel tried to catch her breath but failed as every time she looked at the blonde’s horrified expression she began laughing all over again. “Ok sorry, I’m sorry. I’m done I promise.”

She plopped down beside the girl, an extra hiss as more air pushed its way out of the mattress had them slowly sinking until they felt the ground beneath them. Maneuvering into a comfortable position, Carmilla propped herself up on the pillows and wrapped her arm around Laura who curled up into her side.

The waves of Big Elk Lake lapped at the small beach rhythmically creating a calmness that enveloped the entire area.

_Ok now is the time. Stop being a coward and just say it!_

Carmilla’s heart was beating so fast she thought it might just come out of her chest. She grabbed for water and gulped it down, and yet somehow her mouth remained a desert.

_Girl the hell up!_

“I’m really glad you came hiking with me today, I’ve had a lot of fun.”

_Really Karnstein? That’s all you’ve got?_

“I did too, thank you for all of this. I’m guessing you came out her last night or so to set everything up. You spoil me…” Laura giggled, snuggling closer into her side.

_Deep breath, just get it over with. There are very few ways this could go wrong, just fucking say it!_

“So Laura, I actually have an ulterior motive for bringing you out here…”

The girl snorted, “If you wanted to ravish me you could have done that at home too.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I actually wanted to say something to you.”

_Just chill the fuck out, breathe and chill out!_

Carmilla took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking hands while simultaneously wiping her sweaty palms on her shorts. “Laura, I’ve known you for a long time. Well, besides that whole mix up. Wait, that came out weird let me start over. It feels like I have known you forever.”

Catching on to her tone, the blonde slowly sat up and scooted away so she could look Carmilla in the eye as she spoke.

“I’ve been here basically since time began and definitely before anything we can see here was created, and I’ve never felt anything remotely close to the way I feel about you. I came to earth three years ago expecting to do whatever Mother ordered me to and seduce or eradicate anything and anyone who stood in my way. But then I met you and I began feeling things, I began caring about you and doing everything I could to spend every possible moment I could with you. I don’t think you understand… no wait, please let me finish.”

Laura had opened her mouth to respond but was silenced before she could make a sound, “I need to say this and if you interrupt I might chicken out so please hold all comments until after I get this out okay?”

Carmilla’s hands were visibly shaking as Laura nodded her understanding.

“I don’t know how to explain the things you’ve made me feel, mostly because I’ve never felt anything before. Doing what I did, emotions were fatal mistakes. Then you come along and make it impossible for me to ignore these feelings. You helped me stand up to Mother, something that has literally never happened before in all of history. I know you call it stubbornness but I call it courage and bravery, and finding those in a human, let alone one so young is unheard of. I know I hurt you, I hurt you every single day you had to go on without me. I got off easy and only had to go a couple weeks before seeing you, but going years? I cannot apologize enough and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you never gave up on me even when there was no reason to believe there was any hope.

Since being back I have been reminded over and over just how beautiful you are. I’m not talking physically, though you are the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen, I am talking about everything else. You find hope in the darkest of places, you bring happiness to everyone you interact with and you love everyone no matter how undeserving they are, no matter how undeserving I am.”

Carmilla grasped Laura’s hands in hers, staring directly into those loving brown eyes as she wrapped up her point.

“Laura, I have never been a good person. I have had innumerable years being the exact opposite but since meeting you, since having your kindness and love in my life, I have begun to try. I doubt I will ever be as good as you in regards to doing the right thing but I promise I will never stop trying.” Carmilla placed Laura’s hands together and covered them with her own, “I know Lafontaine’s little backstory has us as girlfriends but I want to do this the right way. I have been with people but never in the way I have been with you and this may be redundant but it is important that I do it, it’s important to me that I don’t cut any corners since it’s the first time I will ever be doing this.”

The angel cleared her throat and looked away as she felt the blush creeping into her cheeks. Realizing her mistake, she returned her gaze to the blonde sitting patiently before her.

“Laura Hollis, I not only love you, but I am completely and irrevocably in love with you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

There was a silence as she finished her rambling speech. There was silence, each moment that passed sent Carmilla’s heart further into her stomach before Laura looked around and leaned in, “Am I allowed to talk now?”

The tension dropped immediately as the angel laughed, “Yes, you can talk now.”

“Oh thank God!” Laura exclaimed dramatically as she threw herself across the space that separated them to plant a very enthusiastic kiss on Carmilla’s surprised lips.

She fell back onto the hard ground softened only by a slim layer of deflated air mattress but she was too busy reciprocating to care. After a moment, Laura pulled away with a crooked grin on her face and her hair already beginning its transformation into its wild sex style.

“You idiot, of course I want to be your girlfriend!”

Her new title had barely made it past her lips before she was once again nipping and sucking on the angel’s bottom lip. Carmilla’s heart nearly stopped as the blonde pinning her to the ground began to slide her hand ever so slowly south. She groaned as it slipped down her chest and came to a rest directly above her pants, making slow, frustrating circles without making its way any lower.

Without warning, Laura sat up straight and leaned back onto the pile of pillows, a smirk on her face indicating she knew EXACTLY what she was doing.

“You’re cruel…” Carmilla groaned as she felt the wetness creeping from between her legs.

“Well I certainly won’t deny that, but I want to watch this sunset. It really is beautiful and we have plenty of time to… take care of each other once the sun goes down.”

“Ugh fine, I did bring you up here to see the sunset anyway.” She groaned, sitting up for Laura to once again snuggled into her side, “It was all part of my elaborate plan to get you to agree to be my girlfriend so I might as well use it.”

“Before I shush you so we can enjoy the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, I would like to make it known that you didn’t need to bring me hiking or have an elaborate and extremely romantic set up to get me to say yes. I would have said yes no matter how you asked me.”

Carmilla’s heart felt like it might burst with the love she felt for this fragile yet mighty little human. Her human. Her girlfriend.

The colors of the sunset painted the sky with every color from yellow to purple, washing the horizon in a masterpiece of hues. The girls lay cuddled on their deflated air mattress propped on a hill of pillows as they watched the heavens rearranged themselves to make room for the stars.

-Laura-

Once the sun had sunk below the horizon, the rustling of the forest around them began a steady hum.

“Hey Cupcake, you awake?” the angel whispered, nudging her slightly.

Laura responded by looking up and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, “Of course I am, what’s up?”

“I have an idea,” she grinned slyly, “have you ever been skinny dipping?”

Interest piqued, Laura sat up surprised, “No I can’t say I have and I don’t plan on it here where anyone can see me.”

“Besides the possibility of being caught being half of the fun,” the brunette made a show of looking all around, “I don’t see anyone who could make that a problem, do you?” Laura opened her mouth to reply but Carmilla beat her to it, “You don’t have to worry about that, I took care of that little dilemma. Anyone who was considering camping out here tonight ended up changing their minds, we’re in the clear I promise.”

“But I thought only demons could manipulate people…”

“Oh no, I didn’t manipulate anyone,” Carmilla explained as she stood, confident she had made her case, “angels can implant suggestions, nothing concrete just an idea, into the heads of humans. It isn’t manipulation so much as suggestion, and I merely suggested to everyone wanting to camp here tonight a better alternative and they all agreed.”

Laura’s expression was skeptical, that is until Carmilla grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled it up and over her head in a single fluid motion. The blonde’s jaw dropped and her body reacted immediately to the way the moon illuminated the angel’s sleek torso. She smirked as she saw the way she was being looked at, making Laura aware that her aura must be dripping with lust.

“Calm down there Peanut, there’s enough time for what you have in mind. But first I have a new girlfriend who I have to take skinny dipping for the first time.”

Hearing Carmilla use the term ‘my girlfriend’ in reference to her made Laura’s heart melt into a puddle and she couldn’t keep the stupid grin from taking over her face. The woman before her smiled in response and held out her hand.

“Well? Are you coming or am I going to go get naked in a beautiful lake alone?”

Laura’s response was a series of mumbling and inarticulate sounds as her mind focused on the perfect body that just so happened to be topless in front of her. Finally finding her words, the blonde shouted “Race you!” before darting into the trees and down the slope to the lake, never more motivated to get anywhere so quickly in her life.

She knew there was no way she could ever win any kind of race against an angelic being but she wasn’t trying to, she was just trying to get to the lake as quickly as her little human legs could take her. Her downhill momentum was gaining strength to the point where all Laura was doing was steer so she didn’t hit anything in her way. In less than a minute she could see the reflection of the moon on the lake between the trees, but just before she made it to them she felt her foot catch on something and she went flying.

She tumbled through the last of the woods, finally stopping herself in the dirt just before it became the sandy shore. She coughed and spit out the dirt that had made its way into her mouth, sitting up and brushing herself off.

“You know I figured you were excited, but you didn’t have to throw yourself down the hill. I would have waited…” Carmilla joked as she pulled Laura to her feet, helping to brush her off.

“What can I say, you trip me up.”

There wasn’t much light at all but somehow Laura didn’t need to see it to know Carmilla was smiling her stupid smile, the one she wore only when she forgot there were people around. She grabbed Carmilla’s face and brought her lips to hers, using her kiss to articulate what she was feeling.

The brunette pulled away first, “Come on, the water isn’t getting any warmer and I don’t want you to get sick because I talked you into naked night swimming. Speaking of naked…”

Laura felt her fingers on the hem of her tank top and she raised her arms to help get it off. They began helping each other lose their clothes until both of them stood completely bare at the water’s edge.

“Are you ready?” Carmilla asked.

Reaching out, Laura grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, “Of course I am.”

Preparing for the cold, Laura dipped her toes in the still water. Just as she jumped at the chilly water she felt Carmilla press her body flush against her back, wrapping her arms around her and walking with her into the chilly lake. Once they were immersed up to their waists, Laura felt the warm body leave hers. When she turned to see why Carmilla had broken their contact, she quickly spun in an attempt to save herself from the water flung her way when the brunette dove beneath the surface.

Shivering, Laura watched the woman appear from below, “How did you do that? It’s so cold I have goosebumps!”

Admittedly, some of those goosebumps were due to seeing the angel’s body glistening in the moonlight, but she wouldn’t be giving her the satisfaction of telling her that.

“Come here,” Carmilla reached out to her, bringing her into her embrace again, “there, does that feel any better?”

Laura felt a warmth spreading through her body, the icy water began to feel refreshing by comparison. “Wow yeah, how are you doing that?”

“I’m just ‘healing’ you from the cold,” she grinned, brushing the hair out of her face so she could look at her, “but don’t worry about it. Come on, are you ready to go under and break your skinny dipping virginity?”

“I think you have taken enough of my virginity, but who am I to say no to a face like yours?” she joked, giving the brunette a peck on the lips before grabbing her and jumping forward.

Unfortunately, she had been standing on a submerged rock at the time and it became more of a slip than a jump, but it got the job done. Once submerged, they broke contact and the cold came rushing back. The water was freezing, but not as bad as it had been previously as they broke the surface.

“Wow!” Laura exclaimed as she brushed her hair from her face, “Oh wow this is awesome!”

Carmilla simply laughed and began floating on her back, “It’s always much less cold once you get your head under.”

Laura snorted and lunged at her, dunking her head under the water playfully, “Thank you Captain Obvious, I grew up at the beach and I was on the swim team. You have no idea how many years I had to jump into ice cold pools at 8 am and just start swimming…”

Carmilla cut her off by retaliating, grabbing her and pulling her under the water. The ensuing battle had all the earmarks of a porno, two very wet and very naked women wrestling in a moonlit lake until a kiss changed the course of the entire interaction.

Within moments, Laura found herself once again in Carmilla’s arms as she carried her out of the water. She felt her drop to her knees and set her gently onto a soft bed of grass. She didn’t have time to ask if they should get a blanket to lie on before Carmilla was on top of her, kissing her in a way that ignited a fire in her core. The angel’s touch all over had her body waking in all the best ways, and now she wasn’t shivering from the cold.

Carmilla began trailing her tongue down her neck and sucking at her pulse point, making the blonde’s back arch off the ground and tangle in her brunette locks. Gasping, Laura dragged her nails down the woman’s back, each nip of her teeth making her body jump.

Her legs instinctively wrapped around Carmilla’s waist, squeezing her closer in anticipation. While her mouth was busy attending to Laura’s neck and breasts, the angel’s hands wandered lower eliciting a strangled moan.

She felt like she would explode as she felt fingers dancing across her midriff, so close and yet so far from where she absolutely needed them to be.

“Oh fuck Carm…” she begged breathlessly, grabbing at the offending hands and trying to push them lower.

Unfortunately, her words had the opposite effect and Carmilla’s lips paused and she glanced up in a way that almost made Laura finish right then.

“Laura Hollis, did you just use a bad word?”

She took a staggering breath and replied as evenly as she could, “Carmilla Karnstein, I appreciate your shock but if you don’t go back to what you were doing I am going to FUCKING kill you.”

The statement was met with laughter before her mouth was once more occupied doing… other things.

Finally, Carmilla’s fingers made their way to where they were craved. Laura shivered with need as skillful fingers brought her closer and closer to the edge of an orgasm, but never too close. Laura thanked God in her head that there was no one around for her to be quiet for as she used the same name aloud, begging Carmilla to keep going.

Laura had to be reminded to breath as one finger, then two, slipped into her center. She gasped with pleasure as the angel began nipping her way down her stomach.

“Oh shit Laura, you are so wet…” she moaned, removing her fingers to lick them clean while she held Laura’s gaze.

Laura whined, her head falling back and her body feeling like rubber. Her entire attention focused into the single point where Carmilla’s tongue painted a picture that her fingers brought to life.

She felt herself begin slipping over the edge, her hands tangling into the raven hair, “Oh God… OH GOD!”

She felt Carmilla’s hands wrap around her hips and lock her in, controlling her bucking while using her tongue to help her ride out the aftershocks. Laura gasped for breath as the angel began making her way back up her body, kissing her slowly yet passionately as she felt the strength return to her muscles.

In one move Laura had caught Carmilla off guard by twisting her body and dragging her down, smiling smugly down at the angel pinned beneath her.

“My my, how the tables have turned,” she whispered jokingly, lowering her body to lie chest to chest on the brunette.

She grinned when Carmilla’s breath hitched at the contact, her knee pushing her legs apart and feeling just how turned on the angel was.

“Oh wow, someone’s excited.” She joked, sliding her hand between the angel’s legs causing Carmilla to emit a strangled noise.

With much restraint, Laura sat up and away from Carmilla who continued to be a panting mess in front of her.

“What are you doing? You can’t be this cruel, not again!”

Laura stood and held her hand out to where Carmilla lay whining on the ground, “I’m not I promise. Trust me, come here.”

Carmilla groaned and took the hand, pulling herself up to stand. Laura grasped her shoulders and turned her so her back was to the lake, backing away just enough for her to still be able to see Carmilla in the faint light.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Cupcake, I already did you a favor and now it’s your turn.”

Laura grinned, snarky Carmilla was one of her favorite things, “You know I will take care of you, you overgrown kitten.” She saw her face turn up into a smile in the moonlight, “So could you maybe, I don’t know, show me your wings?”

“Ha!” she laughed, understanding clear on her face, “anything for you _mon amour_.”

“Wait, you speak French?” Laura asked shocked that she wasn’t aware of this, “You know what no, we’ll talk about that later.”

“ _Quoi que ce soit pour vous, ma belle petite amie._ ” She smirked, obviously reading just how hot speaking French was to Laura. Carmilla stretched her neck and shoulders, relaxing her muscles in the moment before her wings unfurled themselves from her back.

“Oh. My. God.” Laura sputtered, her eyes going wide. “Carmilla, your wings!”

The angel looked uncharacteristically sheepish at her reaction, “Yeah, they’re a bit different from last time huh?”

The blonde’s jaw had dropped and she had stepped forward toward her girlfriend. The wings that had been dark as pitch had been replaced by a pair that was much larger, and much lighter. The feathers glowed silver in the light of the moon, smooth and soft and unbelievably regal.

“Can I… touch them?” she asked hesitantly, remembering the last time.

Carmilla snorted, “I really wish you would, not to complain but…”

She stopped midsentence when Laura lightly trailed a finger down the feathers, making Carmilla shudder with pleasure as she had hoped.

“Do they hurt if you lay on them?” She asked, realizing that the size of her wings might make them uncomfortable to put weight on.

“Not at all,” she smiled, grasping Laura’s arms and pulling her on top of her as she sunk to the ground.

The angel growled when their skin touched, shivers wracking her body as Laura trailed her fingers down one of her wings. With her other hand, the blonde spread Carmilla’s legs and settled herself between them.

“Oh shit…” she groaned, feeling just how wet the brunette already was.

“What can I say, you really turn me on.” Carmilla joked just before the finger slowly gliding into her turned her to mush.

Taking a page from Carmilla’s book, Laura removed her finger and waited until their gazes met before sliding the dripping digit into her mouth and licking it clean.

“Mmmmmm”

“Holy fuck Laura…” Carmilla whispered breathlessly, her head falling back to the ground.

Without hesitation, Laura resumed stimulating her quivering wings as she began using her tongue playfully against the angel’s delicious skin. Within moments, the blonde felt nails digging into her back and rake their way down as waves of pleasure crashed over Carmilla. Her muscle’s spasms began to grow weaker until finally the angel lay still, breathing heavily.

Laura climbed back up until her lips once again met Carmilla’s, her fingers sliding teasingly behind.

“Finished so soon?” she joked, kissing the tip of the angel’s nose lovingly.

“I will have a witty comeback for you just as soon as my brain starts working again.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Laura smirked, “because I’m definitely not done with you yet…”

“Mmmmmm” Carmilla hummed, rolling the blonde over so that she was once again pinning her down. Laura shivered as between the kisses she was trailing down her throat, she continued, “ _femme après mon propre cœur_ …”

\---------------------------------

“Oh come on, you expect me to believe that?” Laura laughed, shoving Carmilla playfully.

The couple had just returned from their trip and had begun to unpack the car when they heard footsteps hurrying down the driveway.

“Carmilla? Laura?” Perry’s voice announced her arrival before she turned the corner into their sight.

“Hey Perr! Guess who are officially dating?” the blonde beamed, pulling Carmilla close to emphasize her announcement.

“Yes that’s nice I’m so happy for you,” the seraph’s eyes were wide and she seemed panicked as she continued, “Carmilla, you have visitors…”

The  sound of more people making their way down the driveway cut off any questions they were about to ask. Laura recognized Mattie’s smooth talking voice immediately, but the other was unfamiliar with age and an accent. Laura felt Carmilla stiffen beside her and glancing over she saw the angel’s face had completely drained of color.

At this point, the two visitors turned the corner to where the three friends stood waiting. Mattie was all smiles and diplomacy as always and beside her was an old man. He walked hunched over and leaned on a cane, dressed nicely in a business-casual suit.

“So Matska, who is it you wanted me to…” he gasped when his eyes landed on Carmilla’s rigid form, “My God it can’t be…”

Ignoring the tension that was choking the entire group, Mattie simply smiled and continued, “Carmilla dear, I would like to introduce you to Baron Vordenburg.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert dramatic music here*
> 
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	8. What Doesn't Destroy You Leaves You Broken Instead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn about the history between Carmilla and the Baron von Vordenburg...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Drown by Bring Me The Horizon
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> implied violence  
> mentions of violence and its aftermath
> 
> I know I'm a mess when it comes to writing I don't have nearly as much time as I would like to so I apologize for the wait. However I do promise that the next couple chapters will be long and very, very juicy. With that said, enjoy the chapter!

-Carmilla-

She stood frozen in place, eyes wide and mind racing to come up with something, anything to say in some semblance of a defense. With all eyes focused on her, she did the only thing she could, she denied everything.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Carmilla asked, fitting herself with her best innocent smile.

“Don’t you treat me like a fool Fräulein!” the previously kind faced baron straightened as much as he could, jabbing his cane at the angel to emphasize his point, “I would know your face anywhere!”

“Uh, I think you are mistaking me for someone else,” she suggested cautiously, “I’ve never met you before.”

“And I, you!” he spat, “But I would never be mistake your very notable visage. You are Carmilla Karnstein are you not?”

Shaken by his persistence, the brunette became defensive, “Yeah, good job listening old man, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never met you before.”

This newfound snarkiness seemed to anger the little old baron all the more, “I never said I have met you! I could never forget the face of the woman who ruthlessly massacred my entire family!”

His statement was met with shock, mostly from Laura who turned to the angel with confusion in her eyes that broke her heart.

“I’m sorry Mr. Baron sir, but I think you are mistaken. How could your entire family have been killed if you are standing right here?”

“Because Fräulein, my great, great, great, great grandmother was able to birth my great, great, great grandfather before succumbing to her mortal wounds! Wounds that were inflicted upon her by this fiend who stands before my eyes feigning desperate innocence!”

“Okay,” Laura drew out the word skeptically as she put her hand on the cane being poked in Carmilla’s direction and pushed it down slowly, “why don’t we stop jabbing things at each other and figure this out.”

Carmilla was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to escape, as though the world were folding slowly in on her. She backed up, shaking her head and sending a quick apologetic look to Laura’s bewildered face, “I’m sorry…”

The angel turned and ran, keeping it slow until she knew she was out of the baron’s line of sight before she let go and ran as fast as she could. Not caring if anyone in town saw her, Carmilla raced down the highway and turned to make her own path through the interminable trees.

After a couple minutes of running faster than the human eye could see, the angel stopped nearly three hundred miles due south into Utah. She hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going and only now took the time to look around her. Red rock formations spread as far as her angelic eyes could see with a single road winding its way through what she assumed to be some kind of national park. A quick glance told her she wasn’t in the most secluded spot, so with a few leaps and a couple hundred feet of vertical free climbing, Carmilla settled herself at the top of an enormous cliff. Finally feeling safe, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing the dry heat to soak into her tense muscles as she leaned back against the sun scalded rocks.

“Well that was a tad dramatic, don’t you think?”

It took every ounce of self-control she had to not blow up at the woman who was examining her nails in boredom as she basked beside the angel.

“Mattie, what the fuck are you doing here?” Carmilla growled.

“Is that how you talk to your sister now?” Mattie asked innocently before smiling wickedly, “Good, I’m happy to see they didn’t completely neuter you up there.”

She couldn’t bite her tongue any longer, “Do you think this is funny?”

The demon didn’t bat an eye at her outburst, “You’re going to have to specify darling, I find a lot of things funny especially around here. Humans always have this way of making the tiniest things so entertainingly dramatic.”

“Dammit Mattie you know exactly what I mean!” she shouted, revealing how affected she was by the recent encounter, “What the fuck were you thinking ambushing me like that! I would have expected this from Mother, hell even those two children who for some reason think they could ever stand a chance, but from you? You know exactly what this would do to me, fuck you were the one who found me there! Am I so irreparably different now that you no longer see me as I see you?”

The angel covered her mouth with her hand as she felt her voice crack, betraying just how hurt she was.

Realizing just how serious she was, Mattie shot up and turned to face Carmilla. The brunette felt her sister’s hands on her face, gently forcing her to look straight into eyes she knew better than she even knew herself.

“ _Mia Bella_ , you think I did this to hurt you?” her dark eyes had never looked so vulnerable, “You misunderstand dear sister, I did this to help you.”

“I think we have different ideas of what constitutes helping someone,” Carmilla grumbled, “but I’ll play along. Say somehow in that twisted little mind of yours this was done to help me. Why the hell would you bring HIM? Couldn’t you have surprised me with something more, I don’t know, creative? Like maybe a sinkhole filled with molten lava? Zombies rising from the grave? I would have preferred an airborne swarm of piranha! Even that would have been better than _him_.”

Mattie laughed at the suggestions, “Darling stop being ridiculous, even if those would have helped you I’m sure a minor transit inconvenience, the undead enjoying a pleasant day out, and a ten percent chance of precipitation wouldn’t have been very challenging for you. No, I was helping you by testing you.”

“Testing me? Seriously?”

“Believe it or not yes,” Mattie insisted, “I needed to make absolutely sure you were the same sister who I have had by my side since time began. I needed to know you hadn’t turned into one of those little… do good cherubs,” she spat the word as though it left a bad taste in her mouth, “I did this so I would have no doubts when I asked you to stay by my side, to reign over all things evil beside me. We can be unstoppable again, you and I.”

“Slow down there speed racer,” Carmilla raised her hand in a halt gesture, “are you asking what I think you are?”

“Come now Carm, we no longer have an audience so you don’t need to play dumb for anyone. You know exactly what I just asked you.”

“Well yeah, but…”

“No, no ‘but’s darling. I do not need an answer right now, we have time before this little drama plays out,” she flashed her always dazzling smile, “ Think about it, get your priorities in order, and I will be here waiting like I always am.”

The angel put her face in her hands and groaned loudly before giving her sister a playful shove, “If you were anyone else I would have hung you with your own intestines for doing what you did back there.”

Mattie let out a carefree laugh, “I would expect nothing less of you dear sister.”

-Laura-

“I’m so sorry about her, she didn’t mean any offense by that.” Laura rushed to cover the immense and abrupt hole that Carmilla had left when she ran, and the subsequent awkwardness when Mattie abandoned them to follow. With their departure, the baron’s anger vanished and he was once again a tired old man who looked about to snap with the weight of merely standing.

“You need not defend her to me Fräulein,” he sighed, “I must apologize to you both, I fear I acted rashly in my surprise.”

Laura shot a confused look at Perry who shrugged her shoulders, apparently just as lost as she was.

“Baron, you look tired. Would you like to come in and sit down? Maybe we can figure out this unusual situation over some cookies?”

“Ah yes, that sounds delightful!” he smiled, his face crinkling to show well used laugh lines.

“Oh good, right this way please.”

Laura ushered them into the apartment, pointing to the couch that sat only a few feet away, “I apologize for the mess, I only just returned from a trip and would have cleaned if I knew I would be having a guest.”

The man dismissed her apology with a wave, “No need to fret, I am the one who is intruding.”

The blonde hustled into the kitchen to grab the container of cookies she had baked two days previously while Perry helped the man settle onto the couch. She hurriedly arranged the last of the cookies on a plate before returning to the living room and placing them in front of the baron and grabbing a chair for herself.

“Okay now that we’ve settled down a bit, maybe we can start over without threats of violence?” she asked hopefully.

The baron who was in the process of taking a cookie from the plate looked ashamed of himself, “I really do apologize for that Fräulein, I was caught off guard and reacted inexcusably.”

“That’s alright, I’m sure you had a reason for acting the way you did. I think our introductions were cut off, my name is Laura and this is my friend Perry,” she began, “and it seems you have some weird knowledge of my girlfriend Carmilla?”

“Girlfriend?” he echoed in surprise, “you mean, like, the two of you are…?”

“Yes, we are.” Laura replied quickly, not in the mood to have the little ‘non-offensive’ dance that came with coming out to someone, “But let’s not go off track. How is it that you think you know Carmilla?”

“Oh Fräulein I don’t think, I have little doubt!” the energy he had lost when Carmilla left was back again full force. Looking at her curious face, the baron sighed, “It is a story that goes back a very long time, and one I don’t think you would even believe if I were to recite it to you.”

Laura scoffed, “You would be surprised what I’ll believe.”

Immediately she knew she had somehow said too much when Perry winced slightly and the man’s face twisted into a twisting smile.

“Well then Fräulein, how could I refuse you?” he settled himself back into the couch and munched on his cookie as he began his story.

“Well this all happened many, many years ago. It must have been sometime in the 1850s or so, the name Vordenburg was prominent and known across the country. Our family, once immense and thriving, had been reduced to a handful due to first the typhus then cholera pandemics that swept through the land. My ancestor Baron Friedrich von Vordenburg was looking for a suitable wife in the wake of the untimely death of his intended wife. Our numbers may have diminished but our name still held much power, unfortunately Friedrich was the eldest male and heirs needed to be created and quickly for our family name to survive.

Friedrich was on his way home from meeting a prospective wife when his carriage came upon a woman who seemed to be lost and alone. A true gentleman, he stopped and offered her assistance and found himself looking at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He took her in, fed and clothed her and came to the realization he was falling in love with this mysterious woman who gave him the name Carmilla of Karnstein.

Against his better judgement, he chose her to be his wife. However, mere days before the wedding that would have saved my family, something happened. No one knows what terrors befell my family that horrible night, but the people of the town closest to the house of Vordenburg heard the most dreadful sounds coming from behind the walls of the manor house. So terrible were the screams that everyone hid themselves and their families in their homes until the clamor ended abruptly just before sunrise.

The first to leave his home was a man named Hans, a father of seven and the town blacksmith. Failing to convince anyone else to come with him, Hans set out to investigate what could have caused the frightening uproar that kept every soul awake through the night. What he found was something that would haunt him until the day he died.

With the exception of the stables and a few walls, the entire structure had been reduced to piles of rubble. He quickly began climbing through the debris, looking for signs of life in every corpse he came across. His search took hours and he found not a single sign of life, even the animals had been brutally massacred. However as he searched the stable with dying hope and found only the empty, twisted bodies of the best bred horses, he heard a sound. It was faint and he almost missed it but upon investigation he found the quivering body of a very pregnant woman.

He reached her side just in time to catch the child she was giving birth to. Her dying breath was a soft ‘please’ as he stood frozen with the newly born baby boy. Realizing there was no way the child would survive without immediate care, Hans took the screaming infant and rode his horse as quickly as possible back to his home. He pushed through the crowd of people impatiently awaiting his return and the answers he would bring, straight to the town’s midwife.

With the child safe and taken care of, Hans recounted his tale of what he had found earlier to the village as the sun slipped below the horizon. The next day, half a dozen riders were sent to inform neighboring villages and strongholds of what had happened while the majority of the men trekked back to the site of the atrocity. The group searched the rubble as quickly as they could, burying every human corpse they found. The woman he had found behind the stables was identified as Amelie von Vordenburg, younger sister of Friedrich.

After they had done all they could, the men returned to the village. The site of the massacre became infamous with stories of ghosts and demons, so much so that no sane soul set foot on the grounds for years on end.”

The not so subtle sound of Perry clearing her throat interrupted the Baron, “I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt but why does any of this make you think that this woman could be the same Carmilla? This was nearly two centuries ago…”

“I apologize, I get carried away sometimes. Now, where was I?” he paused, “Ah yes! Well Hans took the little boy into his home and raised him as his own son, only telling him of his lineage on his deathbed. The boy, now a man, immediately left for the ruins of his family’s once great home. Years of neglect didn’t leave much for him to discover, that is until he found the door hidden in the shadow of what seemed to have been the only wall left standing.

What he found entombed in this hidden room both fascinated and terrified him. It appeared to be some sort of laboratory; shelves of journals had been thrown around the room. The covers of the books were blood splattered and darkened with age, in the center of the room laid a body that had been torn in two and looked to be the source of the gore that covered the room. The journals contained notes from Friedrich who was interested in science and how it could help humanity, testing and inventing ways to improve the quality of life. It seems that he had been working when the slaughter began. Among the books was Friedrich’s meticulously kept diary that told the story of the beautiful Carmilla Karnstein and how she had stolen his heart. He ended up collecting everything he perceived to be valuable and buried it where no one would think to look, he was somewhat paranoid or so I’m told.”

The Baron cleared his throat and reached for another cookie before continuing, “This is the story that had been told to me by my father, and his father before him. You have to understand that I barely gave a second thought to all of this, each generation had been told the location of what he had hidden and not one person had actually gone looking. By the time I was told, it told more as a family legend more fit for entertainment than truth. Along with the story we had been given the exact location to find this mysterious stash, so one day when I was still young I decided it would be fun to go look for this buried treasure I had been hearing about for my whole life. Never did I think I would actually find something…”

“You actually found something?” Laura asked curiosity evident in the way she had gradually slid to the edge of her seat.

“Yes Fräulein, I found quite a lot,” he chuckled, “I uncovered the journals and diaries Friedrich had kept. There were baubles and trinkets still stained with blood, but most importantly there was a painting. It had been cut from its frame and rolled up, and what it showed was lost on me until I saw your friend.”

Laura watched in confusion as the man began digging through his pockets until he found his wallet. He opened it and dug through one of the small compartments until he pulled out a folded piece of paper with a victorious “Aha!”

“This is a picture of the painting, and the reason I overstepped earlier.”

He held the piece of paper out to Laura who took it and finally saw what he had. The paper was a picture taken with an old camera; the subject was a painting that was being held open by two hands on each end. The painting was a portrait of two people, a man in his mid-twenties who had his arm protectively around a beautiful young woman, one Laura knew very well.

“Oh my God,” she breathed as she studied the picture of the couple, staring at the undeniable face of Carmilla next to the man who had more than a passing resemblance to the Baron who sat before her. Something felt wrong about the picture though, Carmilla’s expression wasn’t right. The way she leaned into his embrace was something she knew Carm would never do voluntarily.

“I read his diary thoroughly, and there are parts where he mentions his… concerns about his wife to be. Friedrich was in love but he was no fool, he observed this woman behaving strangely and ever the scientist made sure to record his observations. And that is where things become… odd.”

“Odd?” Laura echoed in curiosity, “What do you mean by ‘odd’?”

He opened his mouth to speak but paused, “I’m sorry, as I speak I realize what a fool I’ve been. Fräulein Perry is right, there is no way your friend and the woman engaged to my ancestor are the same.” He glanced around as though he had no idea where he was or how he got here, “I beg your pardon but I must be going. Thank you for the cookies and for allowing an old man to babble, it was so very nice meeting you both. When your friend returns please give her my sincerest apologies.”

He had barely finished his sentence before he was out the door and hobbling back up the driveway. Laura saw her confused expression mirrored on Perry’s face staring right back at her.

“Well that was interesting...” Perry joked, but Laura wasn’t laughing.

“Is that true Perr?”

The angel sighed and rubbed her forehead as a way to buy some time, “I can’t answer that because I wasn’t there, however even if I had been this is a question you are going to want to ask Carmilla.”

Laura’s heart sunk because her answer was not very subtly written all over the seraph’s face.

\-----------------

The sun was dipping below the horizon when Carmilla walked through the door and into the apartment.

“Oh thank God finally!” the blonde breathed a sigh of relief and ran to embrace her girlfriend, “Where the heck have you been? You ran out of here so fast and haven’t been answering my calls and I was so worried…”

The angel pulled away slightly and placed a finger to Laura’s trembling lips, silencing the words that poured from her mouth. “I am so sorry I ran away, that entire situation is… complicated.”

She felt herself deflate, “Does that mean his story is true?”

The brunette backed away, surprise and pain in her eyes that Laura couldn’t quite understand. Realizing this wouldn’t have a simple answer, she took the angel’s arm and led her to the couch.

“Something else happened too, didn’t it?”

Carmilla remained silent as she struggled with the emotions this particular memory elicited, finally nodding her head to answer.

“Hold on a minute,” Laura said, getting up and walking to the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a glass of soy milk and sandwich along with some of the cookies she and Perry had stress baked while waiting for Carmilla to return. “Here, have some cookies. I doubt wherever you went had food you’re probably starving.”

She grinned as she watch the woman inhale every last crumb and drink every drop, “I knew it.”

“Thank you,” she said, placing the empty plate and cup on the coffee table, “and you’re right, I’m not entirely sure what he told you but I can almost guarantee it wasn’t the whole story.”

“Well to make his story much, much shorter, he told us that his many times great uncle, who was the baron, met you on the road and he took you in. The he fell in love with you and you became engaged and just before the wedding something happened that not only killed every living thing but leveled the home they lived in. When I say ‘something’ he implied very strongly that it was you. But the baron’s sister gave birth to his some amount of ‘greats’ grandfather before she died. Apparently the kid went back years later and found all these scientific journals that belonged to the baron who liked coming up with ways to ‘create a better quality of life for everyone’.”

Carmilla put her head in her hands, emitting a mix between a laugh and a sob, “‘Create a better quality of life’? Of course that’s how he described it…”

Sensing her emotional fragility, Laura scooted closer and wrapped her arms around the angel, “Hey, forget I said anything. We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

Carmilla’s head was lowered, she made no move as Laura began rubbing her back comfortingly.

After a short pause, the angel muttered, “It was right before Elle…”

-Carmilla-

Laura tightened her arm around Carmilla protectively, comfortingly and the angel leaned into her embrace.

“He got the first part of the story right at least. Mother sent me to get close to Friedrich von Vordenburg, so I did. She wanted to recruit him I think but I can’t be sure, either way I did what I was told. I was alone, no one to back me up because she had sent Mattie on another solo mission in Tokyo I think. It’s been so long but I can remember it like it was yesterday, one moment I had the baron around my finger and the next he had me shackled and bound to the wall in his little dungeon of horrors, or his ‘laboratory’ as he called it.”

The brunette shuddered at the memory, her breath caught and she held back a sob. Laura noticed and brought her face to hers, resting their foreheads together until her breathing returned to normal.

“He held me captive for so long, the days blurred together so I could have been down there for weeks, months, even years. I got complacent, stopped being careful but he must have noticed because he caught me off guard and used me for experiments. He took my blood and so much more, tortured me to find out how far I could be pushed, and all the while continued to assure me that he loved me. In his sick mind he was doing this for me and as soon as he figured out whatever he needed that he would still marry and build a life with me. He even commissioned a painting of the two of us, but that painting never happened. He posed for the artist then had him do the medieval equivalent of photoshopping me in.

While he was smiling for the paintbrush I was chained to the wall below his feet. I lost consciousness so many times, went without food or water for varying lengths of time multiple times, and at the end I was not in my right mind. I remember so little from that period, I remember begging and pleading, bargaining and promising him anything just for him to stop.. Eventually I just stopped responding, he took to taking my pulse to confirm I was still alive.

I spent my days distracting myself, wondering why this was happening and what I would have done if I had the chance to do it again. I contemplated how I had gotten to this point and why I continued to blindly follow mother when the worst she could do was end my eternal suffering.

Then one day, or maybe it was night I don’t know for sure. All I remember is that he had left me alone for a time. I felt Mattie’s aura in front of me, she was facing away from me and saying something about how Mother would ‘be so proud of her’ and something about her ‘first time with over 100,000 on a solo mission’. I had no energy to move or make a sound, so finally she turned to me and I just remember the immediate silence. She was suddenly next to me, freeing me from the iron shackles that held me spread eagle against the wall for so long.”

Carmilla paused again, shivering with the memory, “I couldn’t even hold myself up, I fell into her and I felt her temper flare behind the gentle hands she held me with. She asked me again and again what had happened but I had no way to answer her. Friedrich had the misfortune of returning at that moment and he never stood a chance. I lay on the ground where Mattie had left me and watched as her wings throbbed with rage, plowing through anyone who heard his scream and had come running to see what happened. I’m sure you know that no one survived that. I blacked out before long and awoke in Mother’s stronghold.

It was an enormous incident, the biggest thing that had happened in a long time but no matter how well I was treated in order to recover, the damage done was more than they could see. The questions that I had contemplated for so long while I was the subject of that man’s tests had gone too far for me to forget. Then the next time I was on earth was with Elle, and Mother must have realized where my reasons for disobeying her came from which is why she punished me so severely and so thoroughly.

And it worked, I came back that summer without any inclination to ever disobey her again. I had reverted to the demon who fell so long ago, who had been shown no mercy because she had been shown none. But then I saw you,” Carmilla’s face relaxed as she remembered the way Laura had brightened her miserable existence, “and well, you know what happened next.”

Tears that had filled Laura’s eyes spilled over and she threw her arms around the angel, “Oh Carm I’m so sorry, I had no idea! I knew the baron’s story couldn’t be right. I never doubted you for a minute because there was no way that my hero, the woman who so heroically faced worse than death to save me could have ever done what he was saying.”

The angel grumbled uneasily, a sense of foreboding making its way through her.

_I’m no hero, and I hope she doesn’t end up finding that out the hard way…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to *Erica* for putting up with my endless teasing with the possibility of spoilers and helping me not get distracted while writing, you the real MVP!  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	9. I Didn't Know That I Was Starving 'Till I Tasted You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the friends follow up on a lead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Starving by Hailee Steinfeld
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> (very) �brief inference of violence

-Laura-

“Oh my God are we there yet? I’m not getting any younger back here!”

Carmilla’s groaning set Danny’s eyes to rolling, “Yeah well you’re not really getting any older either so shut up!”

Laura couldn’t help but giggle at how good Danny had become at dishing the sass right back to Carmilla’s grumpy self. The blonde and her angel were sitting together in the back seat of Danny’s beaten up Ford Explorer she had bought off of one of the people in town. In the passenger seat Kirsch laughed until a glare from the brunette shut him up.

“Tell me again why I’m not driving?” she aimed her question at Danny, “we could have been there by now!”

With the patience of a saint, Danny didn’t take her eyes off the road that was winding its way back and forth down the crevice created by two saddles in the mountain. “Because you were supposed to be using this time to work on controlling your aura instead of whining and complaining the entire ride.”

“I have plenty of time to…” her sentence trailed off as the road turned to show the view the enormous rocks had been hiding until then.

Everyone but the ever patient driver turned to gawk at the beautiful scene that had just been revealed to them. The road continued for a few miles before splitting to make its way around the most awe-inspiring lake Laura had ever seen. The car slowed to turn right, making its way along the lake’s less populated shore.

“Is this…” Laura breathed in disbelief.

“Great Bear Lake!” Danny finished for her, her expression smug with the surprise she had managed to keep from them all, “They call this…”

“The Caribbean of the Rockies!” Laura blurted out, finishing the angel’s thought, “JP told me about this place and showed me pictures!”

“Hold on, I thought we were coming out here to follow up on that lead JP told us about.” Carmilla said suspiciously.

“Oh we are, but I got all your butts out early so we could stop and take advantage of this incredible lake that happens to be right on the way to the cave he told us about.” Danny’s face gloated, knowing she had successfully surprised them all.

Laura felt her giddiness begin bouncing her up and down before her heart sunk, “Wait, none of us brought bathing suits.”

“Don’t worry about that, I brought some for everyone.” Danny smiled at the blonde in the rearview mirror, “Now everyone look for a good place to stop, I don’t want to deal with the crowds at all the marked beaches so keep your eyes open for a place to head down.”

Laura was bouncing up and down excitement as they chose a spot and Danny pulled the car over to the side of the road. She distributed bathing suits and they each took turns changing in the car. The friends grabbed the beach towels and cooler that Danny had packed secretly and walked down the sand to the edge of the water. They had barely put their things down when Laura took off for the crystal clear water.

The sun kissed her skin around the one piece bathing suit Danny had brought, reminding her that this water would most likely be icy in comparison. She stopped short to dip her toe in the water when she felt herself picked up from the waist and swung around in the air. Carmilla’s arms held her securely as she continued to dash into the shallow water that ever so slowly became deeper.

Her shriek of surprise morphed into laughter as water splashed her from the angel’s deepening strides. Her graceful gait became slower as she waded through the now thigh high water. The blonde began to struggle playfully and that’s when they both toppled over and beneath the glass-like surface of the lake.

Laura came up sputtering to see Carmilla’s playful grin aimed in her direction, “Oh it is SO on!”

A furious bout of wrestling ensued as they both scrambled to dunk the other beneath the minuscule waves made by the passing boats. At one point, Laura had wrapped her legs around Carmilla’s waist and clung to her neck like a koala bear with a sneaky grin on her face.

“I have an idea.”

“Oh you do, do you?” Carmilla asked, her eyebrow quirking up at the challenge.

“Yes, I bet you won’t be able to dunk me under water.”

“Is there a time limit on this bet?”

“Hmmm… twenty seconds.”

The angel’s grin grew and her eyes looked the blonde up and down, “What are we betting on?”

The blonde stuck her tongue out thoughtfully, “Ummmmmm I’m not sure. Bragging rights?”

The brunette scoffed, “You can keep your bragging rights, how about we make it winner’s choice?”

Hesitant but unwilling to back down from the challenge she had initiated, Laura agreed. She tightened her arms around Carmilla’s neck, pulling herself up to set her watch for the allotted time.

“Okay, on my mark,” Laura explained, counting down and pressing the button that started the timer when she barked, “GO!”

Carmilla began the way Laura expected her to, plunging herself forward to dip the girl who clung to her front under the crystal clear waves. It took her less than a second to unhook her legs from around the bare waist just above Carmilla’s bikini bottom.

_Focus, don’t think about her bare midriff while you have a bet to win dammit!_

Her legs halted the downward momentum with which Carmilla was trying to throw her. Their eyes met, neither giving in as the seconds ticked on. Laura pushed up on Carmilla to throw her off balance and launched herself to the side but the angel was ready. After trying this two more times, Laura realized she would most likely lose this bet until the angel pulled her in close to wrap her arms around the squirming blonde. An idea popped into her head and without hesitation Laura pulled back slightly. Carmilla was already redistributing her weight to dive under the water with the captured blonde but didn’t get the chance.

With just enough wiggle room, she hopped up and hooked her ankles behind the brunette’s back.  Her face turned to confusion when, with a devious smile, Laura lunged forward. Her arms encircled the angel’s neck as their lips crashed together. Immediately she knew her plan had worked, Carmilla’s muscles relaxed as she threw all of her attention into the kiss. She couldn’t believe her plan had worked and deepened the kiss thinking she had won. Without warning, she felt Carmilla launch herself forward and the feel of herself being submerged broke what had become a very passionate kiss.

She came up sputtering to the alarm on her watch beeping, and the first thing she saw was a very smug Carmilla.

“I win.”

-Kirsch-

The sun on his skin was something Kirsch didn’t realize he needed until he felt it. Swinging his arms, he stretched his stiff muscles and rotated his neck while he watched Carmilla swing Laura off her feet and into the water. Their open affection for each other made his heart ache for something he knew he couldn’t have.

Kirsch turned to Danny who had laid her towel out on the sand and was applying sunscreen beside it.

“Hey, can I get some of that?” he asked casually, holding out his hand for Danny to squirt an enormous pile of sunscreen into, “Thanks.”

He rubbed his hands together and began applying the white paste to his chest and arms, dabbing a good amount on his legs to rub in. He glanced up when he had gotten all the parts of his body that he could reach, “Hey, do you think you could get my back with sunscreen? I’ll get yours when I’m done.”

“Yeah of course,” she smiled at him, adding more sunscreen in her hands.

Kirsch turned around, two words repeating over and over in his head like a mantra.

_Be cool. Be cool. Be cool. Be cool._

He squeezed his hands into fists, pushing down the reaction he had to her hands massaging the paste into his shoulders and back. He had to literally bite his tongue when her hands descended to apply the last bits of sunscreen to the small of his back, just above his swim trunks. He jumped forward and away from her hands before she finished, smiling sheepishly, “I’ll get it, I can reach that part.”

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, her eyes observing him with suspicion. Bending down, Kirsch snatched up the bottle she had thrown on her towel and squirted a healthy pile into his hand with a ‘ _thhhhbbbbbbbbbbbt_ ’. His face turned red and he quickly spun her around and began spreading the white substance into her back.

Immediately he knew this had been a mistake, his thick, callused fingers rubbing her shoulders and running down her back. He was panicking and he knew she knew it, there was no way his aura wasn’t screaming “AWKWARD CRUSH” at her. “Do you want me to get under the tie on your top?” he asked innocently, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

“Oh, uh yeah please.” Danny answered politely.

Kirsch lifted the string to rub the sunscreen beneath it. It was then that her muscles trembled under his touch and his worst fear happened. He felt that tingle that signaled the one thing he had been praying wouldn’t happen.

“Okay, I’m done!” he stumbled over the words as he jumped back to his towel. He quickly grabbed for the backpack he had brought, pulling it into his lap as he pretended to search through it for something.

He glanced at Danny, praying that she wasn’t paying attention or had been looking somewhere else or anything besides watching him. His eyes met hers and he saw they had crinkled up with the laughter that she mercifully held back.

“I’m going to go check the water,” she stated, turning to make her way to the water.

He let out a deep breath, thanking her for the excuse she had given him to fix his… problem. 

“Yeah sure! I’ll be right there, uh… once my sunscreen dries. You know, don’t want it to wash off or anything.”

Danny shot him an understanding smile over her shoulder and continued to where the small waves lapped at the sand.

_Dude…! Way to play it smooth, she totally knew the entire time! And getting a boner? Come on are you back in middle school? Pull yourself together!_

He watched Laura and Carmilla wrestling about a hundred feet into the water, their laughter infectious. Kirsch smiled, these past couple years had been really hard. He had watched helplessly as Laura became a shadow of her former happy self. He wasn’t stupid, he had known Laura for his entire life. He learned that pretending to be fooled by her feigned smile was always better than saying something if he couldn’t fix the problem with a hug and a shoulder to cry on. But after that summer she stopped trying to put up that front and at the time, he had no idea why. He helped her and cheered her up as much as he could but it wasn’t the same.

Then when Perry, Danny, and Carmilla showed up at their apartment on Christmas Eve it was like he had found pieces of the puzzle that he hadn’t known existed. He remembered, and he understood why the pieces he had weren’t fitting.

Watching Laura, the girl who he saw as a little sister, truly smiling again was something he couldn’t thank Carmilla for enough. He couldn’t help but be happy with Laura back to her fun loving self. He thought about that night and how he learned that one of his best friends was actually one of any number of incarnations that created everything that had and would ever exist, himself included. Surprisingly that was easier to accept than he would have thought. I mean, when you suddenly remember the majority of details from three summers previously with just the sight of a woman, suddenly you become open to any number of possibilities.

The revelation that shook him more than the rest was the reappearance of Danny. His eyes wandered to the woman standing with her feet in the water. She was looking at the mountains across the lake as though she was hearing something inaudible to him which, she probably was. He’d had feelings for her since the first time he laid eyes on her, when she walked into The Fresh on the first day of training. Kirsch had no doubt he would never see her again after she left that fall, but he could never forget her.

Realizing his ‘situation’ had gone away, he set his backpack aside and strolled down to the water where Danny stood watching Carmilla hurl herself and Laura into the water mid-kiss. He laughed along with her as the two women resurfaced, Laura’s face filled with shock while Carmilla gloated.

“So, the cave JP told us about is just across the lake?” Kirsch asked casually as he came up beside Danny.

“Hmm?” She murmured, snapping out of her thoughts, “oh yeah, about forty five minutes that way, just inside of Idaho.”

“So then what’s the plan?” Kirsch asked, studying her out of the corner of his eye.

“Well, I looked it up and they give guided tours every half hour or so,” Danny glanced at her watch, “we have time though because the tours end around five and it’s only a little after noon.”

Kirsch paused, counting to ten to ease his nerves before finally forcing himself to ask, “How are you doing?”

Shock took over the angel’s face and she turned to look at him, “Excuse me?”

He cleared his throat before responding, “How are you doing? I don’t know it just seems like you are always working and stressing and I never see anyone ask how you are doing, so I just want to make sure you’re doing alright.” Kirsch had never seen Danny at a loss for words before, and her silence destroyed what was let of his courage, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to overstep, I just figured…”

“No it’s okay,” She responded finally, “you just caught me by surprise is all.” She paused, with her gaze on Kirsch, but it was more than that. This was more than a casual glance, she was really looking at him. Maybe he was making things up but it felt like she was seeing him for the first time, looking him up and down until her eyes met his. The smile that grew on her face was soft and genuine, reaching her eyes ever so slightly, “I’m just not used to people asking me that, especially not humans who mean it in the way you do.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I’m doing alright considering everything that is going on. I just have this horrible feeling that something is going to happen, something big and game changing and I doubt it will be anything good.”

Kirsch nodded in understanding, he’d been having the same feeling recently. Every day at work Theo seemed to watch him more and more as though he expected something but he just didn’t know what. Then with the baron making an appearance and causing such a stir the other day he felt like everyone was walking on egg shells, tip toeing around each other expecting something to break.

“You know you can talk to me right?” he asked her hesitantly, “I mean I know you’re this timeless badass angel and all but like, everyone needs a bro to talk to sometimes.”

-Danny-

“Kirsch,” she began slowly, her heart dropping into her chest knowing she had to do what was coming, “I feel like I need to say some…”

“Wait, I think I know what you’re going to say and I just want to stop you for a minute,” he interrupted quickly, taking a deep breath before plowing onward, “so Theo and I were talking…”

“You were talking to Theo?” Danny felt her eyes bulge with this new information, “Why are you talking to Theo? He is literally one of three personifications of evil currently walking around Evanston, remember?”

“Dude chill, I know that. But I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on him and reporting back to you on him, something he knows about by the way, so yes we talk. I’m not buddy-buddy with him, just talking but he said something that I can’t shake,” Kirsch looked down nervously, his aura erratic as she knew his nerves were, “he told me that I was stuck in your friend zone.”

Kirsch looked away almost ashamedly before returning his eyes to hers.

“Kirsch,” she murmured, “it’s not you…”

His aura showed a spike of courage as he cut her off, “Please, just tell me. Am I in the friend zone?”

The pity she felt for him turned into annoyance, she felt her features harden and she snapped, “Are you serious right now? Does this really feel like the right time to be having this conversation?”

His eyes were tired but serious, “Yes.”

“You know what, fine. If you absolutely need an answer to get over this then yes, you are in the ‘friend zone’.”

She fell quiet, expecting him to look hurt or angry but he just stood there expressionless, though behind his quiet face he was anything but. Danny stood there confused as she watched his aura shoot out a dart of disappointment, one that was gone as soon as it had come.

 A grin grew on his face and he laughed, pumping his fist in the air, “Sweet! I made it into the friend zone!”

She had no idea what to do, she had played this out in her head many times knowing it would happen eventually, but this scenario never occurred to her.

“Umm, you’re happy to be in the friend zone?”

He turned to her with an ecstatic smile, “Absolutely! D-Bear, we both know I like you more than you like me, or at least in different ways. I’m not as stupid as people think I am, I get it. You’re not attracted to me the way I am to you, but you called me your friend!” he paused, breathing heavily with excitement, “Do you know how cool it is to be your friend? It’s awesome! I can’t believe you think of me as a friend. Because, you know, we mess around with each other and I wasn’t sure, I was worried you just thought I was annoying or someth…. Ugh!”

He felt the wind leave his body when Danny punched him hard in the shoulder before throwing herself him, hugging him tightly with her head on his shoulder.

“Jesus Kirsch, you scared the hell out of me!” she punched his shoulder, hard, “I thought you were going to be mad or hurt or something!”

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” his asked, his face turned up in confusion the way Danny had always thought was pretty cute (not that she would ever admit that), “I get to be friends with you, I have to be the luckiest guy ever!”

“I don’t know about that, but you definitely are the best man I know,” she stepped back and returned his smile, “but please stop listening to Theo. He is just trying to get under your skin to get ahead of Mattie and Mel.”

Kirsch smacked his forehead with his palm, “Oh crap, I totally forgot to tell you! Mel came into the department to see Theo a day or two ago. With everything going on it completely slipped my mind, I’m so sorry.”

A sense of dread made its way up the angel’s spine, “Mel and Theo? They were in the same area and didn’t try to kill each other? Are they working together?”

“I don’t know, I only saw her following him into his office and then they closed the door,” he scratched at his head thoughtfully, “then she just left about forty-five minutes later or so. I couldn’t hear anything they said or if they were even talking in the first place, and trust me I tried.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Shit, this is not good.”

_Those two being friendly doesn’t bode well for any of us…_

“Your face looks like it’s time for us to get going…” Kirsch guessed with his eyebrows raised.

The angel sighed, “No we still have time, plus you just got your sunscreen on and everything… ready. Go ahead and have some fun, I just need to update Perry.” His eyes bore into hers, watching her as though she might be holding something back, “Go, I’ll be right out.”

She shooed him away and made sure he was walking into the lake before Danny grabbed her phone and sent a few hurried texts. Within seconds, her phone beeped with the responding message.

Danny (11:37 am): _We have a problem, Kirsch says he saw Mel visit Theo at the station and they didn’t seem to be fighting_

Perry (11:39 am): _Oh dear, this isn’t good. Do we know what it was about?_

Danny (11:40 am): _Unfortunately no, Kirsch said he only saw him bring her into his office and they closed the door. She left more than a half hour later._

Perry (11:42 am): _Alright, I will report this  and see if They can give us anything helpful._

Danny (11:43 am): _It’s really annoying that They already know (-_-)_

Perry (11:45 am): _I know, but They aren’t doing it to be annoying. Anything They keep from us is meant to help us, try to remember that._

Danny (11:48 am): _I know, forget I said anything. I’ll keep you updated._

Perry (11:51 am): _Don’t worry about it, I understand. Good luck._

She scoffed as she returned her phone to one of the side pockets of her bag. The angel sucked in a breath and wiped her face of the annoyance and trepidation she was feeling before spinning and making her way out to where Kirsch and the girls had begun some sort of water war. Danny did her best to push down her worries, knowing that this distraction, no matter how fleeting, was something they all needed.

_This is most likely the last carefree moment any of us will have for a very long time, they deserve every second of this while it lasts._

With that thought she forced a smile on her face before jumping into the fray, prolonging this moment of happiness as she did her best to ignore her knowledge that it wouldn’t last.

-Carmilla-

Carmilla thanked all that was holy that the lake didn’t have tides that wedged sand in all the worst places the way that the ocean did. The four of them had packed up about an hour ago and continued on to their final destination. They had stopped at the southeast side of the lake, going slightly south before heading due north along the west bank of the basin.

About twenty minutes after passing a ‘Welcome to Idaho!’ sign, Danny turned left along a very plain looking road lined with unimpressive shrubbery. They rode in relative silence as the trail began climbing along the side of a mountain. A car or two passed them going the opposite direction but otherwise they saw no one until they followed the lane around a bend and came to a group of twenty or so cars parked along the side of the road.

After turning around at the end of the pavement, Danny found an opening to park. Once Danny argued and subsequently gave up on making Kirsch bring a sweatshirt, they made their way to the small information center. Reaching into her back pocket for her wallet, Carmilla walked to the window and bought them four tickets to the next tour which would begin in only a few minutes. The friends joined the group of people waiting near the walkway overlooking the side of the mountain that curved out of sight.

After a few minutes of chatter and reading the informational post, the guide finally got everyone’s attention and led them along the wooden walkway. Carmilla followed Laura, her damp hair swinging with each turn of her head as she tried to see everything at once. The walkway ended into a small clearing, an almost sheer rock face opened into a tunnel about fifteen to twenty feet tall. As the crow made a circle around the guide, Carmilla took a small camera from her pocket and pointed it at the entrance to the cave.

“Okay everyone, welcome to Minnetonka Cave!” the tour guide was a bored looking boy about twenty or twenty two as far as Carmilla could guess.

She tuned out his fake peppiness as he went through his entire spiel about the history of the cave. She feigned interest while instead the angel observed her surroundings. The small clearing, no more than fifty feet in diameter, ended in a drop just short of sheer. Centuries old trees clung to the side of the mountain, their roots twisting in and out of each other in what seemed like a desperate attempt to keep themselves from plunging down the steep slope.

Her imagination at the extent of damage such a tumble could cause was interrupted by a glaring look from Danny, one that very clearly said ‘pay attention this could be important!’ The angel sighed and returned her attention to the guide who was thankfully just finishing his monologue.

“… so I hope you all brought a jacket, the cave stays at a constant forty degrees Fahrenheit all year long. Also, the stairs in here can be a bit much for those of you joining us from lower elevations. The cave has 444 stairs on the way in and 444 stairs on the way out, so if you need the group to wait for a minute just call ahead so you aren’t left behind.” he winked at the friends who were bringing up the rear of the group.

_What was his name again? Oh well, he seems like a Karl…_

With a smile and a wave, he led the way into the mouth of Minnetonka Cave. Laura was bouncing up and down with excitement while Danny and Kirsch seemed to be doing everything they could not to look at each other.

_Man I wish I had been paying attention earlier, whatever happened between the two of them must have been very entertaining to warrant this level of avoidance._

“Hey Carm, you have the camera ready right?” the blonde jabbered as they finally walked into the cave, “We are going to need every word on tape so we can go over it when we get home in case we miss anything and…”

“Yes Laura, the camera is rolling now shut up so we aren’t just listening to your chatter.” Carmilla hissed, regretting it instantly as she felt just how hurt Laura was at her snarky comment.

They came to a halt when they caught up to the group at the bottom of the first set of stairs. Laura’s bottom lip was quivering, unsure of what she had done to warrant being snapped at. Danny materialized next to Carmilla and took the camera from her hands.

“Laura, can you go give this to Kirsch? Ask him to record and you pay attention, I need a minute alone with Carmilla.”

The blonde nodded, grabbing the camera and skipping ahead to where Kirsch listened to the beginning of Karl’s speech. Once she was sufficiently distracted, Danny slapped the brunette upside the back of her head.

“Hey! What the fuck was that for?” Carmilla snarled.

“For upsetting Laura! Why did you do that?” The angels glared at each other, Carmilla breathing heavily with indignation. “You know as well as I do that she was just being her happy-go-lucky self, now she’s trying not to cry.”

“Yes Clifford, I know I can see her aura as well as you.”

“Ha! You wish!” Danny snorted, meeting Carmilla’s glare with a knowing look. “But that’s not the point. Why the hell did you do that? And don’t say you don’t know, I’m not stupid I can tell if you’re lying.”

Carmilla growled under her breath, counting backwards from ten before giving her answer, “It’s the way she looks at me… Hell, it’s the way you all look at me, but mostly her.”

Danny raised her eyebrow, encouraging her student to explain herself. Before Carmilla could say anything, the group was moving again. A steep flight of stairs brought them up until they were at the top of the cavern, overlooking the curve they had just been standing in. Karl’s well-rehearsed lines about stalagmites and stalactites filled the room and gave the angels cover to continue their conversation.

“You all look at me like I’m some kind of saint, rehabilitated from my dark and gloomy past. But I’m the same person I have been since creation; I’m the same person who massacred more people than they have numbers for, the same demon who blockaded the fleeing villagers of Pompeii. I’m the same piece of filth that incited the mobs to execute Jesus even though They were more innocent than any person who condemned Them. I am not a good person, and no matter what you call me I am still who I was. Then you have Laura, sweet and kind and naïve Laura, who looks at me like I am some impossibly fantastic being who can do no wrong. She looks at me like a child looks at their father, impossibly strong and never failing. She has called me her hero and not metaphorically, she means it literally and I am anything but!”

The group began moving again, filing up the last of the stairs and through a small archway into the next room where they saw another set of stairs just as tall and just as steep as the last room. Laura groaned ahead of them when she saw the stairs, grumbling as Kirsch put his hand on her back to get her going. On their climb up, another group passed them on their way out. Karl stopped when he reached the last stair, causing the line behind him to pause along the stairs leading to him. He directed them to their left where a group of stalagmites were illuminated by a few small spotlights.

As he began speaking about ‘the dwarves’ or something, they returned to their conversation. “Boo-hoo, you’re not the only person with a past. It sounds to me like you’re just afraid that you won’t live up to the image Laura has in her head.”

“I’m not afraid…” Carmilla began irritably, “just a little concerned I guess.”

She could tell Danny wasn’t fooled, but she wouldn’t let Danny think she had won.

_Oh please, there will be a snow day in hell and Mattie will be giving out free sled rides before I admit to this smug prick that she is right…_

“Exactly,” Danny grinned, “but I’ll just let that one go. So while Laura and Kirsch pay attention for us, I do believe we are a bit behind on our training…”

Her sentence was cut off by a theatric groan emitted by Carmilla who had been doing what she thought was a good job of avoiding the amazon and her torture sessions.

She smiled at the brunette’s dramatic pain, “Oh suck it up, there are worse things than learning how to use your newly returned powers from me.”

“Yeah, but none that come to mind at the moment…” the brunette muttered.

Their group began moving again, making their way into the next room. Laura muttered “Oh thank Laf” under her breath at the far fewer stairs that this part contained. Kirsch’s laugh boomed throughout the cavernous area, causing the unit to look back toward the source of the sound. As he waved their gazes away, Danny took the opportunity to begin the lesson.

“So, do you remember the hierarchy?”

“I didn’t realize there would be a pop quiz today professor…” Carmilla replied bitterly, taking the ten to twenty steps quickly to reunite with the group who were uniformly ogling a couple of small animal bones.

“You think you can just run away from the question?” Danny asked when she reached Carmilla’s side.

“No, but I was hoping I could run away from your annoying-ass voice.” She shut her mouth realizing she had gone too far when the angel’s aura spiked in irritation, “In descending order, you have the first sphere which has Seraphs, Cherubim, and Thrones. Next is the second sphere with Dominions, Virtues, and Powers followed by the third sphere where you have Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Yours truly has been demoted to a mere angel from the much coveted Throne category, but that’s what you get for falling and existing as a demon for innumerable years right?”

“And the next room is one of my favorites, but first we have to descend the longest staircase in the cave. On the way up, we call it the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ but on the way down, we refer to it as the ‘Highway To Hell’.”

Carmilla’s attention snapped to Karl who was looking down a staircase that had her thankful that angels didn’t get asthma.

“Hey, did you hear that?” she whispered to Danny who was already nodding her head.

“Yeah, I guess it’s time for us to pay attention.”

They waited until everyone had begun descending the flight to see what it was that made this room so special. Finally able to look down, they saw that the room they were entering was bathed in red spotlights that gave the area a spooky feel. It was a short room in relation to the other open areas they had been in, the walls sticking out enough to make the path wind in and out of the protruding rock.

They moved to the right to let another group to pass, their groans at having to tackle the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ filled the small room. Karl waited until the noise died down before gesturing to his right at a small hollow that seemed to have been scooped out of the wall. An ominous red spotlight shone into the window where another, normal spotlight shone from a section they didn’t have a good angle to see.

“Here we have what we call ‘The Devil’s Office’,” he grinned like someone telling a scary story around a campfire, “they say that during the excavation of this room, anyone who tried digging in this area met with any number of horrible accidents. There is a branch of the cave that continues through here but no one has tried widening it in fear they would be injured or killed like the others who had worked on this area.”

“Do you feel anything off about that nook?” Danny asked.

“No,” Carmilla gritted in frustration, “it feels like any other random hole in a mountain.”

The angel groaned, “That’s what I’m getting too, I was hoping you could find something. It’s probably just a coincidence and has nothing having to do with the legend.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Carmilla muttered as the tour continued on, turning a corner that moved the grotto out of sight.

Something felt off, but nothing she could name or even put her finger on. Carmilla followed Danny into the next area, the distance doing nothing to quell the feeling of dread making itself at home in her stomach that they were missing something.

-JP-

He walked through the front doors of the newspaper building, waving to Cindy the receptionist who waved back as she continued her conversation with whoever she was on the phone with. JP was feeling great, the day was absolutely spectacular and the file he carried contained all the work he had been assigned to do for the day. Having finished early, JP was planning to head out to the river and maybe take a dip in the refreshing water that flowed down from the mountains.

He glanced at his watch, confirming that it was only a little after noon. He lengthened his stride, realizing he would also have time to go food shopping and surprise his mom so she wouldn’t have to make the trip into town. The only thing keeping this from being the perfect day was the black smoke that billowed from the north. The summer had been very dry and because of that they’d been many brush fires. This one didn’t seem big enough to worry about, but it did mean that the police would have blocked off the road he used to get home.

His thoughts were distracted with what he would do until they reopened the road he needed, maybe he would go hang out with Perry and Lafontaine. They were the only two who hadn’t gone on the field trip out to the caves and he figured they would be alright with him using their apartment to change and store the cold groceries until he could bring them home.

JP turned into the editor’s office, surprised when he didn’t see Jane in her seat.

_Huh, she must have gone to make sure someone was assigned to cover the fires…_

With a shrug, JP put the file on the corner of Jane’s desk. He grabbed a pad of sticky notes and scribbled out a few words that he attached to the front of the file. After a pause, he added that he had gone home for the day at the bottom of the small green square.

JP double checked that he hadn’t forgotten anything, reaching to return the pen he had grabbed from the mug on her desk. He stopped, taking the cap off the back of the pen and replacing it on the tip so the ink wouldn’t dry out.

That’s when the screaming started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait again but I needed to get this one just right and I kept having to edit and rewrite...  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	10. So Let Go, Love Isn’t Good Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we finally learn more about Laura and her backstory before all hell breaks loose...  
> *pun intended*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> Violence  
> Some serious emotional pain  
> Self deprecation
> 
> Title song: Let Go by Hollywood Undead

-JP-

Never had JP heard humans make such sounds. At the first scream he had dropped to the floor and crawled under Janet’s desk which thankfully faced the door allowing for him to use the leg room to hide. Unfortunately he wasn’t fast enough to miss the sight of his fellow intern Randy being thrown into the wall behind the desk. JP had a perfect view of the way his body slumped bloody and broken, upright in some grotesque joke as though he were just resting with his back against the wall. He felt himself begin to hyperventilate when Randy’s lifeless eyes settled on him in his hiding place, his gaze as close as you can get to post-mortem accusation.

Cries came from every direction at once, men and women and running feet that stopped seemingly midstride. He heard bones crunching and moans of agony that were cut off as soon as they began. JP shoved his fist into his mouth to keep himself from crying, through the haze of shock and terror a trickle made its way down his thigh but he barely noticed.

_Oh God, the sheriff and everyone are probably all at the fire… No one is here to call, no one is here to help…_

All he could think about was how the noise came from everywhere at once, there had to be a bunch of them. He was shaking uncontrollably, whimpering that he wasn’t even aware of slipped past the fist he was biting down on with everything he had. He heard something splatter against the window of Janet’s office before everything went still. Regaining some of his wits, JP pulled his gaze away from Randy’s empty stare and extracted the phone from his pocket to see his screen was opened to his texts.

Suddenly there was silence. A single set of footsteps began slowly walking around in the main office, his panic multiplying by the way they seemed to be toying with him. He opened the text box and tapped the ‘H’, freezing when his phone clicked with the selection of the letter.

_SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT the volume!_

The steps froze and JP held his breath, fear clouding his thoughts like a miasma. His finger slipped twice as he flipped the switch to mute his phone. The nearly imperceptible _click_ started the footsteps in his direction.

JP’s heart felt like it would beat out of his chest, convinced even as he held his breath that whoever stood in the doorway of the office could hear it as easily as if he were striking a gong. Nothing he did could stop every muscle in his body from shivering, believing with every part of himself that he was about to die.

Without warning the treads stopped, his head swimming with a lack of oxygen and even still he couldn’t make himself breathe. Silence reigned until footsteps ran down the hallway at was must have been a dead sprint. They paused before turning into the office, making their way around the desk he had crouched behind.

_This is it, this is how I die…_

-Danny-

She followed Carmilla at the end of the line, walking down a steep set of stairs and smacked her head directly into a low hanging rock. She heard the brunette laugh and knew she hadn’t warned her on purpose.

“Stupid little demon midget from hell…” she muttered, rubbing her throbbing forehead while glaring at Carmilla’s snickering form.

“D-Bear? You okay back there?” Kirsch called from the bottom of the stairs, frowning at her face winced in pain.

“Yeah Kirsch, don’t worry about it. Just keep up with Laura and make sure you have everything on video so we can use it later.”

He nodded and jogged to catch up with Laura who was already turning the corner along the narrowest piece of pathway yet.

Danny glared at Carmilla, “First of all, fuck you.”

The brunette covered her mouth to try and mute her snicker but the cave carried what would have been an imperceptible sound through its tunnels.

“Come on, we can’t be left behind.” Danny led the way around the corner and brought the group back into view, they had all stopped in an opening to the path. A railing blocked off the area just before a large hill filled with stalagmites that leveled off about a hundred feet up and continued into an area they could not see. Beyond the railing and just out of reach a large stalagmite stood its tip maybe five or six inches or so below an enormous stalactite.

“This is the end of the line everyone,” Karl  narrated excitedly, “The cave continues on however it is too unstable to continue widening so unfortunately we can go no further. But I would like to bring your attention this way. This is the most famous of our cave formations; it is called the Bride and the Groom. The Bride is here on the bottom and the Groom is reaching out to her from the ceiling in what we like to call the longest courtship in history. These two won’t reach each other for another ten to fifteen million years.”

Laura and Kirsch gave each other a look as if this were some important new information but before Danny could ask, Karl had made his way over to the wall.

“Since we are so far into the cave, there is absolutely no natural light that reaches this room. I am going to turn the lights off in here and you will experience complete darkness,” Carmilla’s aura spiked in panic, “so I would like to ask everyone to turn off any phones or technology that emit any form of light so you can experience true darkness. Try waving your hand in front of your face, you may think you can see it however that is just your brain playing a trick on you. There is no possible way for you to actually see your hand without even the slightest amount of light. Is everyone ready?”

The angel tried to move closer to Carmilla but was blocked by Laura who had placed herself at the brunette’s side. She had no time to consider how odd it was that Laura had been aware of how upset Carmilla was before the lights went out.

Danny felt panic that matched the alarm in Carmilla’s aura. She had never experienced complete darkness before and the experience had her immobilized in shock. Though she had training for a situation like this drilled into her, her advanced sight had never encountered a situation where they were rendered completely useless without even the slightest hint of light for her eyes to capture.

As the people around her gasped in surprise and wonder, Danny swung her arms up and out trying to gain her bearings. Her hand made contact with someone who was moving toward her but before she could react a hand took hold of hers and a muscled arm wrapped itself around her torso.

“Shhhhh it’s okay,” Kirsch whispered into her ear, “I’ve got you.”

Her fear subsided with his familiar presence, his arm holding her body to his and making her feel a type of safety she had never experienced. After a few more seconds of wonder filled gasps and comments, Karl flipped the light back on with a smile.

“So, how was that?”

Danny continued to cling to the arm Kirsch had wrapped around her as she regained her senses and noticed Carmilla seemed to be doing the same with Laura.

“Are you alright?” he asked seriously, his eyes studying her intently while she regained her composure.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you Kirsch.” Danny stepped out of his arms and gave herself a mental shake.

The group chattered amongst themselves as they filed back the way they had come, retracing their steps back through the rooms and up the Stairway to Heaven that left even the most fit of them gasping for breath. Everyone moved to the right as the group behind them passed and when they tried to continue Karl held the group up across from the bones they had seen on the way in.

“If I can have everyone’s attention please this is the final piece of the cave that I will be talking about.” Everyone fell silent to listen to Karl’s final monologue, “This right here is the only stalagmite you are allowed to touch in this entire cave. Remember when I said that the oils on our skin would stop the rocks from growing anymore? Well this here hasn’t grown since the cave was found due to workers constantly touching it. Every rock in this cave has been touched but none of them have stopped growing completely as this one did. So as you walk by feel free to reach out and touch it, you will find it is cool and smooth to the touch. So everyone come on over and give it a try!”

The group slowly made its way by the formation, each person reaching out and touching the rock as they passed.

“Deep in the heart of this ever changing mountain…” Danny heard Laura mutter thoughtfully to herself as she ran her palm over the cool form.

She narrowed her eyes in thought, trying to figure out what was running through her mind but she couldn’t think of anything.

_She must be putting things together that I missed while talking to mistress of the snark earlier…_

“Is everything alright?” Kirsch asked, nudging her lightly as they followed Laura and Carmilla winding their way down the path to the entrance.

“Huh? Yeah, sorry I just have a lot on my mind.” Danny replied, giving herself a mental shake and continuing the trek back to the cave’s entrance.

-Laura-

She could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and she skipped up the last few steps and burst out of the cave.

“Wow, I never thought I would be so happy to see the light of day!” she sang, whirling in a circle with her arms out to each side.

“Well that’s a tad dramatic don’t you think?” Carmilla joked.

Laura felt herself tense up before realizing the comment wasn’t meant negatively. She responded by sticking her tongue out and racing off along the walkway that lead to their car, the angel close on her heels.

Laura felt arms wrap around her just as the path opened up to the road, snatching her into the air and spinning her. She had barely felt the ground beneath her feet before her back was pressed against the jagged face of the mountain. Their faces were so close that she could taste the angel’s breath as she inhaled.

She stared deep into those chocolate brown eyes she knew so well and saw what she refused to show anyone, insecurity. Laura read the sadness in her eyes before Carmilla spoke, “I’m sorry for snapping at you before, it was wrong and completely uncalled for and you didn’t deserve it.”

Laura stopped her with a finger touching the angel’s lips, “I know. Thank you for apologizing.”

Carmilla smiled, leaning her forehead against Laura’s with a soft sigh.

That sound had the blonde’s heart full to bursting, the love she felt for this angel with her broken halo was something she could ever even attempt to explain. In the cave she had been hurt and angered by what Carmilla had said to her. But then the lights went off in the final room and she felt… something.

The absolute darkness had startled and scared her, but then she felt Carmilla grabbing at her. She couldn’t see the panic that had to have been written in her features but she felt it, and that’s all that mattered in that moment. Her hurt had been thrown to the side and all she cared about was the fear she felt emanating from the angel who clung to her in the pitch black.

She knew Carmilla could see the turn her thoughts had taken, their noses practically touching as they stared into each other’s eyes. Without warning, the sound of a slap and Carmilla’s indignant “What the hell?” broke the two girls apart. They turned to see Danny strolling by with Kirsch, a devious grin on her face.

Without stopping, she turned her head and shot them a smile, “Come on love birds, people are staring and we have places to be.”

“Stupid fucking giant pain in my ass…” Carmilla muttered, rubbing the back of her head where Danny had smacked her in passing.

Laura grinned at the lighthearted direction the mood had taken, following Carmilla as they headed to the car and began their journey back to Evanston. On their way back through the lake town, Danny’s phone began pinging repeatedly with messages that must have come while they were out of range of any cell towers. Keeping her gaze on the road, Danny pulled her phone from her pocket and waited for it to stop going off. Once the onslaught of texts ended, she unlocked her phone and glanced down quickly.

What she saw drained the color from her face and she quickly pulled into a parking lot and began scrolling furiously through her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen, rapidly typing something that had her full attention

“Is everything alright?” Kirsch asked hesitantly, placing his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture.

Without a word, Danny tossed her phone back to Carmilla and peeled out of the lot.

“What’s going on?” Kirsch tried again.

The angel said nothing, her attention on the road in front of her as the speedometer crept over 100 mph and kept climbing. She swerved back and forth across the double yellow line, in and out of cars actually respecting the speed limit.

Both Laura and Kirsch glanced between the angels looking for some answer until Carmilla glanced up with a face that mirrored Danny’s, “Oh fuck.”

-JP-

His heart was in his throat, blood roared through his ears as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

“JP?”

Perry’s familiar voice fell over him like a bucket of water and the breath he had been holding in came rushing out in a sob. He sprung forward and fell into her arms, relief so overwhelming it took him a moment before his common sense came flooding back.

“Perry! Get down!” he hissed, attempting to drag her beneath the desk with him, “Someone is out there, it isn’t safe!”

“Woah woah,” she said soothingly, “JP I know, it’s okay you’re safe. I will explain everything I promise, but right now but I need you to trust me because I need to get you out of here.”

“We can’t go anywhere!” he struggled in her unbelievably strong grasp, “There’s someone out there…”

“Shhhh honey I know,” Perry murmured gently, “that’s why I’m here. Please I need you to trust me.”

Fear had JP paralyzed, but somehow he managed to summon the strength to take the hand that was being held out to him. The second he was on his feet, JP was being dragged behind Perry at a run he could barely keep up with. It took everything he had to keep his eyes from wandering as they barreled down the halls, but the red splashed all across his peripheral vision told him more than enough.

Just before they reached the lobby, the sound of multiple feet surging into the building alerted the pair to the arrival of what people had been near enough to be dispatched to control the situation. Perry froze momentarily before grabbing JP’s arm and dragging him into the same broom closet he had found Laura and Carmilla all those months ago.

He felt a hand cover his mouth as the feet ran by their hiding spot, silencing his cry for help.

“No, don’t make a sound. We can’t be seen or else we will be taken to the hospital and we don’t have time for that right now.” Her eyes were serious as they gazed into his, waiting for him to signal that he understood and would be quiet.

He nodded as the last of the footsteps passed the closet. Perry opened the door slightly and peeked through, glancing at him and signaling that the coast was clear. They slipped through the door and down the rest of the hallway, slinking through part of the lobby and creeped into the corridor behind the receptionist’s desk.

Everything had a surreal quality as he was rushed to the emergency exit at the end of the hall, his sight blocked by the woman who hustled him past the carnage and out into the ironically beautiful day.

-Carmilla-

She led the charge, flinging the door open and creating an accordion-like effect when she stopped short at the scene before her. First Laura, then Kirsch, and finally Danny ran into her back with an ‘oof’ as the wind was knocked out of each of them.

“What happened?” Laura asked, the first to recover from the collision, “Oh God JP, are you alright?”

Carmilla felt the concern emanating from each of them as Laura ran to the shocked intern who sat wringing his hands on the couch in front of a visibly shaken Perry and Lafontaine.

“There was an incident at the newspaper…” Perry began before being cut off by JP.

“They’re dead, all of them… everyone is dead and it’s all your fault.”

Carmilla froze, looking around before landing on Lafontaine in the hope of an explanation.

“JP come on, you know that isn’t what happened…” Perry tried to reason with him.

“It is exactly what happened!” he yelled, startling Laura who had knelt beside him in an effort to console him, “None of this would have happened! They would all still be alive if none of you had come here!”

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” Lafontaine’s voice boomed, shaking the lamp on the side table so much that it tumbled off and shattered on the floor.

Every stunned gaze was on the deity in the room, breathes bated as they waited for what they would say next.

“I know you understand because I am the one who explained this all to you. Now listen to me, don’t take your anger out on them,” Laf said so sternly that Carmilla thought they would start wagging their finger at the poor guy, “it is natural and healthy to be angry right now, but you know that they didn’t cause this. You have been through a lot in the past few hours and you’re hurting so let us take care of you because no matter what you just learned about us, we are your friends and we love you.”

He sighed dejectedly, all fight leaving his body in a single second. He looked around the room at each person before speaking again, “Fine, but there is one thing I still don’t understand about all of this. You said that when a demon is killed that all traces of them are removed from human memory right? Well then why did I remember Carmilla as soon as I saw her? Shouldn’t it have seemed like I was meeting a new person?”

“You know, that’s something I had been wondering too.” Carmilla added slowly.

“I think we all have, like why was I the exception?” Laura asked, “Why did I remember her when every other human didn’t?”

“Fair questions, but I can only answer part of it,” Lafontaine grinned humorlessly, “and not because I’m trying to be annoying either. See Carmilla is the first demon to ever reclaim her status as an angel, so she is pretty much making the rules up as she goes. I mean, in regards to this point in time but I won’t get into that because I don’t want to confuse you all. Angels have always lost their memories when killed but hers remained perfectly intact, she flew through training at a speed that has never been seen up to this point.

She was reborn because she made the choice to leave behind who she was, she gave her life to save another without a thought to what she would gain from it. She is still the demon she used to be but it’s her choices and motives that she makes now that matter. Because of that, it is her choice whether she shares who she used to be with the humans she meets. The three of you remember her because subconsciously, Carmilla is choosing to trust and share that part of herself with you.”

This must have finally been too much for JP since the brunette felt his strength evacuate as tears began to roll down his face. He leaned forward and lay his head on Laura’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably as the blonde rubbed his back in gentle circles.

“If you don’t need me, I’m going to take JP somewhere a little less… energetic.” Laura announced, giving Kirsch a look that Carmilla pretended not to notice.

“Oh yeah, let me help you” he commented, moving to help Laura lift JP from the couch and guide him to the guest room down the hall.

“You know as well as I do exactly who did this.” Perry began as soon as they heard the door close.

“You can’t know that…”Carmilla argued.

“I do know because I was there and I saw her! If I had gotten there a moment later JP would be dead too!”

The words sliced the brunette to the bone, Perry had actually seen Mattie do this.

_Why? She never does anything without a reason so why would she do this?_

Hushed murmurs preceded the guest room door opening and closing softly and Laura and Kirsch rejoined the group.

“Okay, JP is sleeping so what’s the plan? What are we doing now?” Laura asked, getting right to the point.

“We go after Mattie and make her pay for this!” Perry suggested enthusiastically.

“Okay, that’s a nice suggestion… Anyone else have an idea?” Danny said, trying to relieve the tension in the room.

“Has anyone contacted his family? They must be worried sick.” Kirsch offered, the answer obvious by the guilty looks he was receiving, “Right well I’ll step out and call his mom then.”

The door closed behind him as he walked outside, the phone already pressed to his ear. A moment of silence passed before Danny spoke up, “Since we know it was Mattie, what should we even do? She is obviously up to something making a move this big.”

“What could the newspaper have done to bring this on? Could they have done to become a threat to her somehow?” Laura followed her line of thought, “Lafontaine, do you have any ideas?”

The deity’s head snapped up at the sound of their name, “Maybe we should be focusing less on the why and more on how we stop her from doing this again to anyone else.”

“They’re right, but what can we do? Mattie isn’t stupid and she isn’t going to let any of us anywhere near her now.” Danny mused aloud.

“Maybe not…” Laura began, “she may not let any of us near her but what about Carmilla?”

All eyes were on her once again as her blood froze in her veins, the fear she had vocalized to Danny earlier becoming a reality.

“You’re her sister, she trusts you and that means you’re the only one of us that can get close enough to go toe to toe with her.”

Her heart fell as she read the bright eyed hope in Laura’s aura and saw where the conversation was going, there was no getting around this anymore.

“No.”

Kirsch’s reappearance was ignored as every head snapped to look at Carmilla in surprise.

“What?” the blonde asked disbelievingly, unsure if she had heard correctly.

“You heard me, my answer is no. Find somebody else to play your hero.”

Kirsch stood in the doorway awkwardly, unsure of what to do with the scene he had walked into.

“Just because I was willing to risk my life to save yours doesn’t mean I’m willing to betray my sister. It doesn’t make me some crusader…” the angel continued.

The expression of shock and hurt was obvious on Laura’s face but Carmilla had come too far to back down now. If she didn’t make her point now, it would only continue.

“Carm, why are you doing this? I need you to help, WE need you.” She was pleading now and the sound had the angel’s heart in pieces.

She took a deep breath and held strong, “Why am I doing this? Because I’d like to think you love me and not some romantic ideal you’ve made up in your head.”

Laura flinched and a streak of red entered her aura, “Romantic ideal? Because I think you’re better than your long history of murder and callously discarding people?”

“Is that what you think of me?” Carmilla asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

“No,” Laura groaned and ran her hands through her hair as she collected her thoughts, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just… what am I supposed to think when you’re all ‘caring about people who aren’t us is stupid Poptart’ and ‘remember that time we destroyed half of Saigon? Fun times…’” Laura swung her arm in mock merriment as she quoted the brunette’s conversation with Mattie to drive her point home.

“That’s part of who I am Laura, and so is Mattie. You can’t expect all of that to just evaporate because I love you…” Carmilla paused, hoping that what she was saying was getting through to her girlfriend.

Laura’s eyes went wide and she paused, reacting as if Carmilla had slapped her in the face, “If you really loved me then you’d do this. I need you to be the kind of person that helps and fights.”

“You haven’t listened to a single word I’ve said.” Carmilla hung her head and laughed humorlessly.

“Oh no, I’ve heard every word.”

“So then me loving you just isn’t enough for you then? You need more?” Carmilla shot back, anger beginning to boil inside of her.

Their audience watched in shock at her words but the angel didn’t care, she was mad now.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all and you know it,” Laura growled back, “I am not asking for more, I’m asking you to prove it. Words only get you so far because in the end that’s all they are, words. You can’t just say ‘I love you’ and expect it to open doors like some kind of magic password, you need to back those words up too.”

Carmilla’s jaw dropped, “You think I haven’t proven that I love you over and over since the moment I first set eyes on you?”

“Well you sure as hell aren’t proving it now.” Laura flared, crossing her arms in front of her and cocking a hip.

The brunette scoffed incredulously, “I can’t believe you right now, we have a mass murder that we need to deal with and you’re arguing with me about whether I actually love you or not? Don’t you think you’re making this bigger than it needs to be?”

She didn’t know what she had said, but Laura’s aura went from a whirlwind of red to a raging ocean of the worst kind of blue. Streaks of white hot self-hatred flashed through her emotions the likes of which Carmilla had seen only once, the night of the Memorial Day Beach Party. She remembered the girl she had barely known taking off on her bike, a hurricane of self-deprecation following her that could have given the demon’s feelings a run for its money.

“Oh no…” Lafontaine and Kirsch muttered simultaneously.

“First of all, I am not the one who is refusing to do something about the mass murder that started this. And I’m making this bigger than it needs to be?” Laura took a step toward the angel who did her best not to take a step back, “You will have to excuse me if I don’t take words at face value anymore, because I have made that mistake before and I can promise you I won’t ever make it again.”

Carmilla knew she was losing this argument and felt a flare of anger in her stomach that pushed her to say something she regretted before it even came out of her mouth, “What could you have done that is so bad? What could have possibly happened in your sheltered little life to make you think you know what true pain feels like?”

“Carmilla that is enough!” Lafontaine’s voice cut through the room like a whip.

“No, it’s alright Laf.” Laura smirked and straightened herself, “You want to know why I don’t trust those words? Those three little words that I have no problem saying but have so much trouble believing?”

Carmilla had never seen this side of Laura before and it dawned on her that this must be the part of herself she felt the girl hide behind the smiles. The broken piece that she tries so hard to convince others isn’t there, and nothing had ever made the angel’s heart crumble so completely in the innumerable years she had been alive.

“Because I believed my mom when she told me she loved me and do you see her anywhere? She told me that she loved me over and over again and I believed her, I believed her when she told me she would always be here and would never leave me but that was my mistake. We were inseparable back then, my dad working and my mom and I spending the days together. We went everywhere together and couldn’t have been closer.

But you see I was really young and didn’t understand why she always had a bottle when we were at home, didn’t put together that she would hide it whenever my dad returned from work. I was eight when my dad kicked her out of the house but I wasn’t too concerned, see she was staying at a hotel nearby and my dad would bring me to see her once in a while. Plus once a week we would meet her at an office with a really nice lady who would play with me while my parents went into another room for a while, but that didn’t last long.

I found out a few years later that my dad had given her a choice, she could come back home and be with us if she admitted she had a problem and went for help or she could leave. She had a choice between her family and alcohol, between me and some cheap liquid high.” Laura’s voice cracked, releasing the sob that she had been holding in, “Every ‘I love you’ she had said to me meant nothing to her the day she came and picked up the boxes of her stuff my dad had packed for her.

She told me she loved me more times than I can count even after she left, but each one came second on her list of priorities. So you’ll have to forgive me if words don’t carry as much weight with me as you want them to. I’ve learned that love isn’t made of the words that are spoken, it’s made of the decisions that are made every day to make someone or something your priority. My mom gave my dad and I empty promises as she confirmed over and over what she believed was more important, and right now you are making Mattie a priority over me. I have spent more nights than I can count lying in bed and wondering what about me wasn’t good enough to make her stay, and in every part of myself I have found a million reasons for her to choose what she did. But in doing that I have realized one thing, love isn’t just something you feel but something you show in every decision you make.  I’ve been a second choice once and I won’t let myself be one again, so we're done.”

By now the sob had become tears that flowed down her face unchecked, but when Carmilla reached out in an effort to comfort her the blonde backed away, “No, don’t touch me. I… I need to go.”

With that, Laura bolted out the front door and disappeared into the quickly falling dusk. The silence she left behind was suffocating, Carmilla felt the weight of what had just transpired in every fiber of her being.

She turned slowly to where Kirsch and Lafontaine stood watching her with wide eyes, “Her mom left her?”

The question was short and disbelieving, as the angel tried to process what she had just learned, “Her mother threw her away so she could keep drinking? Why did none of you tell me?”

Danny and Perry watched her pityingly while Kirsch held her gaze, “It wasn’t our story to tell. You should know as well as we do by now that Laura doesn’t trust just anyone, and now you know why.”

The angel let her face fall into her hands as what she had just done sunk in, “Well shit, I really fucked up this time…”

-Laura-

Every time the tears began to slow, Laura saw Carmilla in her mind scoffing at her pain and the floodgates opened up again. She knew she had gone too far, she was in the wrong and would have to apologize but she couldn’t help how she felt. The angel had been nasty as well but she’d had no way of knowing about what had happened with her mom, but with everything that had happened in the past three years Laura had just never found the right time to tell her.

As her sobs began to die down, her anger and hurt gradually made way to horror as she realized just what she had done. Guilt and embarrassment flooded her veins as her mind raced, trying to figure out what she was going to do.

“Fräulein Hollis, is that you?” the familiar voice came from behind her.

She spun to see the Baron, hobbling along all bundled in a coat with a scarf.

“Baron Vordenburg?”

“You seem surprised to see a man out for a walk on a night as beautiful as this,” he replied with a smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be rude. I am just a bit distracted is all.”

“I had noticed, and I know you aren’t the only one after everything that happened earlier. How horrible it is, those poor people and not a single one spared…”

“What? Oh right, yes it was terrible. Do we know anything yet? Who did it?” she questioned, remembering that not everyone had the answers that she did.

“Alas no, Fräulein. Even the authorities don’t know yet from what I understand.” He gave her a comforting smile, “Don’t you worry, I am sure they will find whoever is responsible for such a heinous act. Would you mind if I joined you on your walk? Sometimes all it takes is the feeling that you aren’t alone to make a difference when you feel troubled.”

His words soothed her whirling thoughts and she smiled, wondering if maybe he also deserved a second chance to give a real first impression. She smiled and wound her arm through his, accepting his invitation for company at the end of such an eventful and disturbing day.

-Danny-

_You are such a failure. You should have known, you should have stopped this from happening. Why would they let this happen?_

She closed her eyes and massaged her temples with her fingers as her head pounded. Lafontaine had sent everyone home after repeatedly assuring them that there was nothing they could do tonight to help anyone. Danny finally acquiesced, dragging the still arguing Kirsch out by his ear and leaving Perry to care for JP while Lafontaine walked an agitated Carmilla down to her door.

The angel stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She examined the face staring back at her and noted the exhaustion that showed in her eyes and posture.

She just felt so defeated, like they were always one step behind and arriving just in time to play damage control. How were they even supposed to stop this war for the throne? Only one of the three could come out victorious and none of them had any reservations about doing what needed to be done to attain their goal.

Danny felt her stomach turn as she thought about all of those people who had been massacred that day, and for what? What could Mattie have possibly gained by their deaths? As she did her best to hold the tears back, a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Her eyes returned to the mirror and saw Kirsch’s smile, “Hey, come on. We’re both drained from today and you more than anyone need sleep.”

He gently pulled her in the direction of the bedroom, lifting the covers and even tucking her into bed. He sat down beside her for a moment and brushed the hair that had fallen into her face, “Just relax, forget about everything and sleep. If you need anything, you know where I’ll be.”

He stood to leave, but before he could take a step Danny had grabbed his hand. He looked back curiously, “Is everything alright?”

She looked down, replying slowly, “Yeah, I was just thinking… you don’t have to sleep on the couch again.  I mean, I just know you are way too tall for it and there is room in here so…”

“Are you sure?” he asked with his eyebrows raised, “I mean, I’ve been on the couch since we got here so it isn’t really a big deal…”

Danny’s heart sped, her anxiety through the roof, “Yeah I’m sure. Now stop staring and get your pillow before I change my mind!” she added quickly so as not to give him the impression that she was starting to tolerate him.

It’s not like she could say ‘hey, can you sleep in here tonight because I can’t stop thinking about the fear and pain those people went through while I was walking around a damn cave and its giving me anxiety and I don’t want to be alone’. Well, she could but she sure as hell wouldn’t.

He returned pillow in hand and settled into the other side of the bed. His weight making the bed creak and groan before he reached next to him and switched the light off. The silence was heavy, Kirsch’s awkwardness was palpable as he tried to figure out where this had come from.  The darkness was smothering Danny, her guilt at not being there and feelings of helplessness and the doubt she felt for herself.

“Hey, is everything alright D-Bear?”

Her silence was his answer and he scooted over and wrapped her in his arms. She melted into his strong embrace, the walls she built so high showing cracks in the face of the safe space that was his arms.

He held her tightly against him, “I don’t know how you do it, staying strong for everyone without giving yourself a moment to breathe.”

With that, the floodgates opened and tears began rolling down her cheeks. He grasped her tighter, soothing her as best as he could. Feelings of weakness and worthlessness crashed over her. She felt the confusion and pain that came with seeing Mel like this and every emotion that she had been suppressing and hiding came to the forefront and she just cried.

Her body wracked with sobs until she finally passed out from pure exhaustion. Once he was certain that she had fallen asleep, Kirsch slowly moved so as not to wake her. He stripped off the tear soaked shirt and tossed it in the clothes hamper before grabbing tissues and carefully wiping the snot and tears from her face.

With that done, he slipped back in between the covers and lay down. Just before he gave himself over to his fatigue, Kirsch placed a gentle kiss on the angel’s forehead.

“You are way too strong for your own good Danny Lawrence,” he whispered, placing another small peck on her brow, “I hope someday you find someone who you can allow yourself to be weak with.”

-Laura-

“Thank you so much for allowing me to join you on your walk, Mr. Baron sir.”

The pair had looped around on their walk and ended up near the hotel he was staying at which just so happened to be only a few blocks from Laura’s apartment.

He smiled, “It is no problem fräulein Hollis, I quite enjoyed our chat. I hope the next time we meet, whatever has been bothering you will have been solved and made right.”

“So do I, we should talk again soon…” Laura’s words began to slur as fatigue hit her like a bulldozer.

She shook her head trying to wake herself up enough to make it home but there was blackness eating away at the corners of her vision.

“Fräulein is everything alright?” he asked concerned, extending his arm in an attempt to steady her.

“Yeah, I think I’m just…” she never finished her sentence. The feeling of lightheadedness increasing at a rate that should be alarming but instead she felt smothered by calmness.

She felt herself swaying, but she was unable to stop her body from crumpling to the ground. Laura saw the fear and concern in the Baron’s eyes in between blinks as she fought with everything she had to keep her eyes from closing.

“What is happening? Fräulein? Can you hear me?”

There was a familiarity to this onslaught, something she couldn’t put her finger on. Her heart was like a jackhammer in her chest while her brain assured her over and over that there was nothing to worry about. That’s when it clicked, she understood just as a figure emerged from the shadows behind the Baron.

“You…” Laura whispered accusingly, her strength finally depleting completely.

She saw the Baron turn to where her eyes fixated behind him and he let out a gasp.

“I need you to deliver a message for me old man,” she said, never breaking the eye contact she shared with Laura.

“To whom? What is going on?”

With her grasp on consciousness finally slipping through her fingers, Laura saw Mattie smile victoriously, “Go tell Carmilla Karnstein that I kept my word, and that she should know better than to test my patience by now.”

As her eyes closed, Laura caught a glimpse of Mattie tucking a folded piece of paper into the Baron’s pocket.

Then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for how long it took to get this chapter written and posted. The holidays are always a hard time of year for me in general but there was also a part of this chapter that was very difficult for me to write as it brought up a lot of old emotions. Even if you don't usually leave comments or feedback, leaving anything would mean the world to me. Writing this was a challenge and took a lot more of me than I could have anticipated.  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	11. Welcome To A World Where Dreams Become Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mattie finally makes her move...  
> *please read notes at the beginning*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Been To Hell by Hollywood Undead  
> I once again apologize for taking so long to get this out but it worth it, ESPECIALLY since this time I am rewarding you with something extra for your patience. At the end of this chapter, below the asterisks, is a bonus scene that I wrote that is 100% canon in this AU and happened during the time jump after Carmilla's arrest. With that, please enjoy this chapter and the bonus content that I *thoroughly* enjoyed writing.

-Carmilla-

She was beginning to doze off when pure panic froze the blood in her veins. Reality came back quickly and Carmilla realized it wasn’t her hysteria she was feeling, but the alarm of whoever was banging at the door with frenzy. She reached out in the hope that it was Laura at the door but was both disappointed and confused to feel the aura of the Baron Vordenburg.

“Calm down, I’m coming! I’m coming!” she yelled as she made her way toward the commotion.

She opened the door with an eyebrow raised, ready for a fight. But before she could say a word, she registered the man’s expression of fear and his disheveled appearance as if he had just hobbled here faster than his body could handle.

“She took her…” he wheezed, out of breath but still fighting to speak, “She has taken fräulein Hollis!”

Her stomach jumped into her throat and she felt ice race through her body. Time slowed and fear turned her words into a growl.

“Who took her?”

“Your f-friend…” he stuttered, still trying to catch his breath, “Miss Belmonde. She came out of nowhere…”

Time skidded to a stop and the beat of her heart reverberated in her head. It took the angel a couple seconds to process what the man had said but when it finally clicked, so did her rage. She sprung forward and grabbed the already breathless man by the collar.

“What did you say?” she growled through clenched teeth.

All that came out was a gurgled sigh, unable to answer with his airway cut off so effectively. She released him and he coughed, filling his lungs with the air he so desperately needed.

“She…” he wheezed, gulping in more air, “she was walking with me.”

“WHERE?” Carmilla roared, not caring how many people she most definitely just woke around them.

“My hotel, off to the side.”

The moment she had what she needed she was gone, leaving the gasping man to fall to his knees without her to support him. Between street lights Carmilla dove forward, her bones cracked as black fur sprouted from her body. A woman left the ground but an enormous panther is what landed, the only proof of the transformation were the scraps of what used to be her pajamas scattered on the street.

She ran so fast she almost overshot the hotel, skidding to a halt she stuck her nose in the air and inhaled. Laura’s scent had mixed with the baron’s and led her to the side of the building, just out of reach of the security cameras that surveyed the grounds.

Here she found Mattie’s scent had intersected with the two humans, but the only discrepancy she could find was the baron’s panic.

_She must have manipulated Laura, that bitch!_

She let out a roar of frustration and darted off in the direction of the newspaper office. Carmilla reached the building which had been cordoned off with yellow police tape that swayed in cool night breeze, keeping low to the ground she slipped by the officers still processing the scene. Using the back door she prowled down the hallway to the elevators, huffing at the overwhelming scent of blood and death and pain that lingered so prominently from earlier that day.

She knew she was going to catch hell for this, but the angel reached out to the minds of the officers who stood between her and her destination. The small amount of people made this all the more easy for Carmilla who simply walked into their minds and convinced them all that they needed a coffee break. She watched from the shadow of the front desk as they all walked right out the door, never taking a single glance at the blood soaked stand.

She hurried down the hall to the elevators and pushed the button with her nose. Knowing that the similarities between the layout of the building and Mother’s office were no coincidence, Carmilla shifted her weight from paw to paw impatiently waiting for the elevator on the right to open. The ding of its arrival sounded like a gong being struck in the otherwise deathly silent building. She padded in as soon as the doors opened and repeatedly squished her nose against the the button to take her to Mattie’s office as quickly as she could.

If it weren’t for the extreme panic she was feeling, Carmilla would have laughed at what this scene must look like. A black panther riding an elevator, fidgeting impatiently while the soft sound of a saxophone played in the background.

She wasn’t stupid and if Mattie had taken Laura, as was becoming increasingly evident, they would not be here. She flexed her claws in frustration, slashing the carpet accidentally. The doors opened to the reception room just as before, only this time the human behind the desk sat back motionless in her desk chair. The streaks of blood on the wall told the sad story of what had befallen her in the last moments of her life.

Carmilla continued into Mattie’s office which was in a state of disarray, papers lay everywhere as if the room had been searched hastily. A feeling of urgency remained from the last person who had been in this room, Mattie’s scent lay everywhere however that wasn’t the most interesting thing in the room.

Carmilla stalked over to the desk littered with books and papers. A tome lay open on top of the clutter, displayed for her to find. It was an atlas open to a page that had been torn clean off. The next page however revealed to her heightened sight the indentations of the scrawl that had obviously been written on the page above before being removed.

A bloody dagger had been plunged into the remaining pages, its handle sticking straight up like the needle of a compass pointing to the one thing she was missing. This was an overt and unmistakable message from Mattie, but an anxious and cursory search of the area turned up nothing in regards to the missing page. Wishing she had more time to comb through what had been left behind, Carmilla grabbed the atlas in between her jaws and loped out of the office. She may have been almost incoherently panicked, but the angel was aware enough to know that she was nearly useless to Laura like this.

Instead, she put all of her concentration into delivering her precious cargo to the person she knew was her only shot at deciphering its meaning. And once they were done with telling her what this meant, she was so going to kill them...

In one smooth move, the panther took a running jump and landed outside the apartment upstairs with only a book and a bloody knife in her possession. The lights were on and she felt a group of auras humming in the living room as she opened the door and faced the group who all greeted her with varying levels of surprise.

“Carmilla!”

“Oh thank God!”

“Took you long enough moron…”

“Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick!”

“Fraulein, you have no clothes!”

Carmilla ignored them all and made a beeline for Lafontaine, “You knew about this, didn’t you?” she shook the book in their face angrily.

“You know I can’t tell you what is going to happen…” they began but was cut off by a solid punch connecting with their face.

“Fraulein, you’re indecent!” the baron cried, his eyes hidden to save him from such a sinful sight as a woman’s naked body.

“You fucking knew! And now Mattie has Laura only you know where!” she raised her fist again but a running tackle by Danny pinned her to the wall.

Her body bucked and flailed against the arms that held her immobile, doing everything in her power to launch herself back at the deity who was cupping their injured face in their hands.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!”

She stopped her struggling and everyone’s attention was suddenly trained on Kirsch who had retrieved the book from where it had landed in the mayhem.

His expression was one of business, something Carmilla had never seen before on his buffoonish face. “She has Laura and you fighting against your friends is exactly what Mattie wants, and I’m sure the same goes for Mel and Theo. I know I’m not the only one who has noticed all three of them disappearing at the same time.” His face was so close to Carmilla’s as he continued to make his point, “Now calm the fuck down and tell us what you found out because I will not have Laura dying because you couldn’t control your damn temper.”

Their eyes locked for what seemed like forever until Carmilla got her anger under control and nodded. Kirsch turned and grabbed a blanket folded on the couch, throwing it to Carmilla who caught it before wrapping it around her shoulders.

“Now that you’ve calmed down, we can fill you in on what you missed while you were out chasing your tail,” Danny filled in the silence that followed Carmilla’s outburst.

Perry turned to the man who was watching the scene from the corner with wide eyes, “Baron, thank you for telling us what happened. I think it is time for you to return to your room and allow us to take care of this.”

“Wait!” he cried suddenly, “You don’t know everything. Miss Belmonde gave me a message she told me had to be given to Carmilla.”

“Spit it out old man!” she growled, her intimidating effect dampened by the blanket draped over her naked shoulders.

“She told me to tell you that she kept her word, and that you should know better than to test her patience by now.”

If Carmilla thought it couldn’t get any worse, she was wrong. The angel fell onto the couch as all of her energy left her. The looks she was getting didn’t even register as a sense of foreboding fell over her, and she didn’t even notice Perry ushering the old man out the door.

Laura’s words “We’re done” echoed in her head and the severity of the situation began crumbling over her.

Mattie’s smile all those months ago laughed at her, the words coming back in a rush, ‘ _Sure you won’t, that’s what you always say. But don’t worry, I can wait.’_

“Thank you for telling us all of this Baron, but I can tell you need sleep. We will keep you updates as we go.” Perry’s voice had such a calming effect on the older man that his eyes began to droop.

His head fell in exhaustion, “Yes, I do believe you are right. If there is anything I can do to help you, you know where to find me.” The man turned and hobbled to the door, before he got more than a few steps Perry was at his side.

“Let me help you, you can’t walk home by yourself.” She supported the old man at his arm and led him out the door.

The door had barely closed behind the two before Carmilla was addressing Danny, “So what happened? I checked her office and it was a mess, all I could find was the book and the dagger. But the entire page was ripped out and I figure we can read the indents on the next page…”

“No need for that, I think we have the missing page. In fact it is an exact match to the page Laura brought back; it looks like your sister purposefully gave us only part of the riddle. She gave it to the Baron when she took Laura and he brought it straight to us. Kirsch, if you would?” Danny gave him a nod, indicating he should bring their now complete clue forward.

He blushed and glanced at Carmilla before once again averted his eyes, “Ummmm actually, do you mind putting some clothes on first?”

She let out a growl, “You have got to be fucking kidding me right now.”

The overgrown man child shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot and didn’t meet her gaze.

“Oh for fucks sake…” her eyes shone with murder as she stalked up to him and grabbed his tee shirt, pulling it over his head and down over her own in one swift movement.

“Hey!” he objected, but not quickly enough. The angel had already lifted and stripped him of his sweatpants, sending him stumbling backwards. Within moments she was climbing into them herself, leaving the man standing before her in nothing but a pair of boxers and a raging blush. “What the hell dude!”

Carmilla straightened from rolling the pants up to accommodate her shorter legs and held her hand out, “Give it to me. Now.”

He turned with a glare and carefully retrieved a page that had been ripped in two and was now held together with strips of tape. He handed it over carefully before grabbing the blanket Carmilla had shed and tied it around his waist, Danny’s laughter making him turn completely red.

She ignored his nearly naked indignation to give all of her attention to the page she held so gingerly, making a beeline for the end of the couch where a reading lamp gave her the best view of what she now carried.

The top half was so familiar to her that she could recite the words in her sleep; the area included in the circle had been memorized months ago. Carmilla read over the scrawl that had become infamous amongst the friends:

_“Deep in the heart of this ever changing mountain_

_the most powerful weapon can be found,_

_Many will search though few will find,_

_and only the worthy will succeed,_

_The one true possessor will stand above the rest,_

_a true leader who gains strength with each defeat”_

She took a deep breath, continuing below the tear and finally reading the words that had been omitted:

_“But hold fast to your hope any who pursue her power_

_for hope is the only thing that can save you now,_

_Even the most powerful weapon can be rivaled_

_and that which opposes her brings nothing but destruction,_

_Be sure that you know who to trust_

_since even those closest to us have their secrets,_

_Those who seek to control her_

_will meet with inconceivable loss.”_

Below that were words that had obviously been added recently. The familiar tilt of the handwriting made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight and her hands curl into fists, crinkling the paper’s edges.

_“I have a feeling I will be seeing you soon my darling, and you know I will be waiting for you patiently as always._

_XOXO Mattie”_

-Laura-

The first thing Laura felt was the dryness in her mouth and throat. She opened and shut her mouth, trying to wet her parched tongue. That’s when she felt the blanket beneath her, and just how comfortable she was laying wherever it is she was.

She dug into her memory, and that’s when the panic and fear that Mattie had suppressed collided with her. Her body jumped up and her eyes flew open of their own accord, the fight or flight instinct pounding through her veins and her hair standing on end left her breathless and confused. She frantically tried to look at everywhere at once, searching for the danger that every fiber of her being screamed was there with her.

After a minute or two of peaceful silence besides the rise and fall of her chest, Laura’s heart rate began to slow to a more healthy level. Memories of what had happened came flooding back as the adrenaline began to fade and her rational thinking returned. She was laying on top of a king sized bed in what looked like an extremely high end hotel, like one made for visiting royalty. The colors were bright and showed no sign of fading or wear, the comforter she was on was made of a fabric unlike any she had ever felt.

Laura slipped off the bed and began walking around the room, which was closer to a multi-million dollar apartment than a hotel room. The door was over to her left and opened into a full sized kitchen made with a combination of white marble and dark wood. A dining table sat at the edge of the kitchen before the hardwood floor turned into carpet. From there you would walk between a lavish couch that sat to the left of her bed and the most enormous television she had ever seen.

It sat on a nice shelf, but it wasn’t even just the size of the machine that had her in awe. This screen wasn’t flat like what one usually found in a nice hotel, it was curved inward as though inviting you into a real life panorama. It was the kind of tv that you only ogle at in stores because the smallest size usually cost more than you could ever dream of spending on any single item.

Past the living room was her bed that seemed like it could take up an entire room by itself. A massive ‘L’ shaped desk was in the corner between the head of the bed and a wall of curtains, but when Laura tried to draw back the curtains they wouldn’t budge. No amount of pulling or tugging would allow her to see what she assumed were windows on the other side. Leaving that mystery for the time being, Laura walked to the corner opposite the desk and into an immense bathroom.

Every visible inch was white and shining, from the floor to the countertops to the toilet. There was a walk in shower with at least ten different heads sprouting from all three walls and the ceiling, and next to that in an alcove sat a Jacuzzi tub large enough to fit at least five adults at once.

Her exploration was interrupted when she heard a doorbell, and at first she honestly thought she was imagining it. But a few seconds later it rang again, prompting her to exit the bathroom and make her way to the door. She looked through the view hole in the door and saw a well-dressed and well-groomed young man waiting patiently with a smile on his face.  She hesitated before opening the door slowly to this stranger.

“Hello Miss Hollis, my name is James. I was sent to check on you and make sure you were settling in comfortably.” He had a kind face under his well-trimmed facial hair, and something about his deep blue eyes pulled Laura to him.

“Oh ummm, yeah I guess so…” she muttered uncertainly.

“Splendid!” James smiled, his accent shining through though she couldn’t pinpoint where it was from. “If you don’t mind, could you please follow me this way?”

Still confused about what was happening, Laura nodded and followed him down the hall, realizing too late that she didn’t have the key to her room. She shrugged and put it out of her mind, it was the least of her worries.

She tried memorizing her surroundings but everything was the same. There weren’t even numbers on the doors of the rooms they passed. At the end of the hall, three elevators stood side by side. James produced a key from his lapel and inserted it into the panel to the side of the doors on the far right, a small click when he turned it opened the doors. They climbed into the elevator where James pressed a single, unmarked button. Laura’s attention was caught because it was the only button on the panel; the usual emergency buttons were nowhere to be found.

Calming saxophone notes drifted through the speakers and lulled Laura’s nerves into background noise. Her eyes were drooping when the elevator let out a ding as they reached their destination. The doors slid open and the scene in front of Laura made her take a second glance. Through the doors stood a waiting room with a couch on either wall leading to a receptionist’s desk at the far end. In the back left corner was a door, and Laura’s anxiety came rushing back as she realized Carmilla had been right.

The top floor of this building was an exact replica of the Evanston newspaper building, down to the placement of the furniture and potted plants.

“Ah Vanessa, you are looking beautiful as always.” James winked at the woman seated behind the desk, one who was almost too perfect to be real.

“Go right in James, she has been waiting for you.” Her eyes barely flicked to them before returning to the papers she was filing in front of her.

Laura followed James through the door to the side and entered a room she would never forget. It was identical to the office at the newspaper, right down to the placement of the desk and the papers strewn everywhere in the only mess that could ever be considered organized. She didn’t even have a chance to make her presence known when the ornate black leather office chair behind the desk swiveled to reveal the flawless evil that was Matska Belmonde. Her head tilted and her face squished in confusion as she met her eyes dead on, but the look was gone so quickly she questioned if it was even there to begin with.

“Ah Laura, I’m so glad you could finally make it!” her smile made the blonde shiver, “Please, come in and sit down.”

Laura paused, every instinct she had telling her to run as far and fast as she could. The only problem was James’s hand on her back guiding her toward the chairs placed invitingly before the desk. She sunk into one and it was harder than she expected. When she noticed James was still standing behind her, Laura realized that it was most likely because no one was allowed to sit in the presence of their leader.

Mattie sat gracefully and folded her hands in front of her, “Now darling, hove you found the accommodations to be satisfactory so far? I wouldn’t want you to feel neglected, no one can say that I deprive any guest of mine even the most basic of luxuries.”

She couldn’t hold back the snort, “Guest? So if I tried to walk out of here right now you would just let me go?”

“But of course, I would never keep anyone against their will. That is absolutely against the etiquette of a good hostess.”

“Oh I would have to see this to believe it.” Laura scoffed, standing up and sliding past James whose face had turned ashen and had reached out to try and stop her.

“No James.” Mattie barely spoke but the man snapped back to his position like a rubber band.

She became more disbelieving with each step she was allowed to take toward the door. With one final look, Laura turned the handle and stepped out into the waiting room.

Vanessa looked up in surprise, “She’s done with you already? And you’re still alive? Damn it must be your lucky day…”

She paused, taking a couple steps back and addressed Vanessa who was already busy inspecting her nails, “Real quick question, where exactly are we?”

 Vanessa nearly snorted and her smile was mocking, “She just let you go didn’t she?” When Laura didn’t answer, the woman laughed again, “I’ll save you some time, just go back in. She’s messing with you, and usually that’s entertaining but I need to get this done so just go.”

Unsure of what was going on, the blonde did what she was told and returned to the office and shut the door behind her. Mattie had just finished rolling her eyes, “That girl sure knows how to ruin my fun… remind me to get a new secretary when we’re done here.”

James’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and he began to sputter before Mattie grinned at him, “Don’t worry dear, I was only joking around. I know you have a special place for her and I won’t take her away from you just for that.” He visibly relaxed and her predatory gaze was back on Laura’s horrified face, “Oh come on now pet, you can’t be so dense as to truly not know where we are.”

She felt herself going numb with dread because Mattie was right, ever since the elevator Laura had her suspicions but she couldn’t bring herself to accept it.

“Go on, you know you want to. Have a look,” the woman nodded her head behind her, indicating the wall that she knew to be made of windows but was securely covered with curtains just as they had been in her room.

Laura hesitated, her body suddenly heavy as she made her way to the windows. She raised her hand and felt the silky curtains beneath her fingers, so soft against the callouses she had accumulated on her hands since her sudden move to the Rockies. Her rough skin caught on the fine threads and confirmed that unlike in her room, these curtains were not fastened in place. She parted the fabric slowly and her gasp prompted a cackle from behind her.

Laura’s hand felt like it was made of lead as she pulled the curtain the rest of the way aside and fully exposed the view. The sky was black, not in the way it would look at night but because it was just… empty. There was no moon, no stars or clouds, it was as though she was staring into some sort of void. Below her was an unfamiliar city, there were lights and activity but it was just wrong.

The feel of living that comes from city life, the sounds of traffic and of people in their daily dynamic of life was so absent. All that she could feel was quiet despair masquerading as the hustle and bustle of millions of individual lives interacted within such a large metropolis. Beneath all of the movement she saw before her, all Laura could feel was death.

“How…” her voice was barely a whisper as she turned to see the victory painted on her face, “How did you, how could you…?”

“Now now, the details are not important darling. But please, let me be the first to present to you the world that shaped and created the woman you think you know and love,” Mattie gloated as she strode to stand at Laura’s side, gesturing dramatically to the view before them, “Laura Hollis, welcome to Hell.”

-Carmilla-

_That sneaky bitch... she has been planning this for months._

The looks she was receiving from around the room were interrupted by Perry’s return.

“Ah Perry, right on time,” Lafontaine spoke up for the first time in a while, “we just finished catching Carmilla up to where we are.”

The returning angel turned her attention to the brunette still staring at the paper she held with her entire attention, “Oh good, Carmilla do you have any idea what the weapon is with this new information? None of us have any idea even with the next half. And what does she mean with that last little note…”

Her words were falling on deaf ears as Carmilla continued to stare at the page she held.

_There is no way… it can’t be possible…_

“You said that Mel and Theo are both gone?” she finally questioned, not looking at any of the eyes that stared at her unblinkingly.

“Not a word from either all day.”

“Fuck!” Carmilla groaned, standing just to begin pacing around the room.

“Care to share with the rest of the class?” Danny retorted, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed impatiently.

Knowing that it was much too soon to tell them everything, Carmilla settled with the bit they needed. “I’m as lost as the rest of you with the legend, but with the note Mattie left me? When we first arrived here I stopped Mattie from killing Laura and she said she was patient and would wait for me to get tired of her, as if that would ever happen.”

Realization dawned on Danny’s face first, “So she took Laura breaking up with you as you being done with her?”

“As much as I can guess, but that isn’t even the worst part.” The brunette’s face fell in defeat, “Not only does Mattie have Laura, but she has her because she knows I won’t give up until I have her back.”

“I’m a little lost, why is that the worst part?” Kirsch chimed in innocently.

“Because there is only one place Mattie would take her, and Mel and Theo disappearing only backs that up.” Carmilla took a deep breath before finally uttering her worst fear, “She took Laura back to hell with her.”

 

********************************************************************************************************

*BONUS CONTENT*

-Carmilla-

As an angel, Carmilla didn’t need nearly as much oxygen as the humans she walked among. This is why she couldn’t put words to why every time Laura Hollis so much as looked at her, she found her lungs screaming for relief.

Right now was most certainly one of those times.

They had just barely made it through the door to their apartment before the blonde had her up against the wall. Her hands were running through Laura’s soft hair, which by itself was more than enough to drive her crazy.

They were tripping over each other before the door had even clicked shut and had somehow made it into the hallway. Their bodies were so tangled around each other that she couldn’t have remembered her name if she tried.

In a surprise twist, the angel felt herself shoved against the wall once again and felt what was left of her breath escape her quivering lips. The blonde, usually shy and learning the different ways the brunette’s body responded to her touch, was taking control and nothing had made every muscle in her body melt more than this.

She felt Laura’s lips drag down her neck so confidently and nip at her pulse point. Thankfully the blonde had her arms wrapped around her waist because even her angelic strength was failing her. The top she wore was being pushed aside and she gasped when the fingers brushed everything out of the way of her lips that were greedily marking her skin down her shoulder.

A gentle but decisive shove sent Carmilla tumbling into their room and right onto their bed. Her legs bent and hung over the side, all of her energy spent feeling the way the bed moved below her as Laura climbed over her body. She had never felt as completely drunk as she did now, hot breath hitting her neck while fingers pulled her shirt up and off of her. With one quick flick, her jeans were unbuttoned and she finally pulled in a ragged breath that was cut off with the way Laura was trailing her tongue along her collar bone.

The angel had never been so at another’s mercy in her innumerable years, and she would have had it no other way. Laura’s index finger hooked around her bra between her breasts and slowly pulled her body up into a sitting position. By now, the blonde had long since straddled her lap and walked her right hand around her bra until it reached the clasp at her back. She flipped it open at the same time her left hand tightened its grasp in her hair and forced her head back.

A gasp escaped her mouth; being dominated was certainly something that was quickly becoming her new favorite thing. There was more than just one thing about confident and in charge Laura that was making her so wet that her pants couldn’t hide it anymore. Carmilla’s unhooked bra had begun sliding down her torso and left her breasts nearly exposed, and the fact that Laura wasn’t ripping the fabric from her body was driving her insane.

Instead, the hand that wasn’t firmly holding her head back had crept down to begin slowly teasing the angel just above her low cut jeans. Carmilla’s lips opened and closed, desperately searching for Laura’s as her abs quivered with the taunting way the fingers brushed across her midriff. Without warning, the blonde’s hand dove into her jeans and felt its way right where it was being craved but with the thin fabric of her panties still in the way.

The brunette felt the way the woman’s breathe hitched above her and she felt herself releasing a groan in unison with the blonde.

“Oh fuck babe, you are so wet for me…” her breath nearly gave out as she spoke, just before Carmilla felt the woman take her ear between her teeth and pull down with a grin.

Laura’s fingers rubbed along her body in just the right way, but that isn’t exactly what had Carmilla pleading with her to keep going. With her right hand still exposing the angel’s throat, the blonde had her left hand between the legs she was using to straddle her lap. The only thing was that as soon as she felt just how soaked Carmilla was, Laura’s body had instinctively convulsed grounding right into the angel’s body in one prolonged movement.

Every muscle in her body froze and jolted, but the way Laura’s hand had been cupped around her center had just barely kept her from finishing faster than she could have possibly imagined.

“Oh no you don’t,” the blonde purred into her ear, “I am not even close to being done with you yet.”

She couldn’t help it, the sound of her voice so deep and sexy in her ear combined with the body pressed into hers had the angel coming right into her human’s palm.

“I can’t believe you came already,” She couldn’t see her face, but the pout in her voice was unmistakable, “Looks like I’m just going to have to make you cum for me again.”

Those words combined with the orgasm she’d just had sent the angel flopping onto her back, her muscles now completely liquefied with the way her girlfriend had surprised her with this dominant persona.

Carmilla watched as Laura’s lips quirked up at the corner and her hands grasped the bottom of her own shirt. With one practiced move, Laura’s shirt was on the other side of the room and her lacy little black bra had turned the angel’s mouth into a desert. Laura’s hand slid up the brunette’s torso as she pressed their bodies together and ever so slowly ground her way upwards.

She saw the glint enter Laura’s eye and if she thought her smile had been devilish before, she would have been in for a surprise.

Laura dragged her finger down Carmilla’s lips and gave her a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose, “Stay, I will be right back.”

The angel couldn’t even form the energy to nod as the blonde jumped up and skipped out of the room. With the few moments she had, Carmilla focused on re teaching her body how to breathe. The moment the woman returned that all went right out the window.

Both of their bodies were humming with mutual need, but it rose to an entirely new level with the next words out of Laura’s mouth.

“Put your hands above your head.”

The angel’s heart might have actually stopped beating, not sure she had heard her correctly. When she didn’t respond immediately, Laura repeated herself, “Hands. Above. Your head.”

Her eyebrow quirked as she finally obeyed, raising her arms which shifted her bra once more.

“Good girl,” Laura grinned, finally removing the bra and crossing Carmilla’s wrists while producing one of the ribbons she sometimes tied her hair up with. The blonde was leaning over her as she carefully but securely restrained her wrists, and as she did that the angel had the pleasure of having Laura’s breasts directly in her face. She even wiggled a little to make the process last just a bit longer, more than happy with the view she found herself experiencing.

Once Laura finished binding her wrists, the real torture began.

Carmilla felt the body above her sliding down ever so slowly, dragging excruciatingly slowly across her nipples and tearing a strangled moan out of her. Being in control was showing an entirely new side to the previously innocent girl, the one who was now excitedly tugging her jeans off. Her laugh was deep and throaty; the vibrations making Carmilla’s nerves tingle in a very direct route.

The tongue making a lazy trail down her body was driving her absolutely insane, winding so close but never touching the spots she needed it to. Circling but never stopping, it continued around her nipples before resuming its journey. It made a playful stop just above her panties, circling and nipping until her entire body was quivering and the angel was simply repeating “Oh my fucking god” over and over with what breath she had.

Her drenched panties were being removed by Laura’s teeth and oh god the muscles in her arms clenched trying to tangle her fingers in that wild hair that was brushing over her body. The last of the fabric that had been covering the angel was finally gone, and Carmilla nearly died as she watched the woman hurriedly throw her hair into a messy bun.

Laura’s eyebrow quirked and she climbed back up her body until her face was situated right between Carmilla’s thighs. Her arm muscles rippled as she bent the brunette’s legs and spread them, wrapping her arms beneath the brunette’s butt and reaching up to play with her breasts. That was the last thing Carmilla saw, since her head fell back the moment she felt Laura’s tongue finally taste her.

Yes, Carmilla liked dominant Laura VERY much…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please leave a comment with your thoughts, because honestly I was going through such a dry spell and then about a week ago Shiva (this is a shout out) wrote me the most amazing comment and rekindled my writing juices so this one is for you whomever you are!  
> (an even more special shout out goes to Erica for being there to force me to write when I need an extra push and also for just being awesome :D)
> 
> **Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	12. They Know You Walk Like You’re A God, They Can’t Believe I Made You Weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which both Laura and Carmilla come to terms with the hell they have been thrown into...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title song: Strange Love by Halsey  
> ***Trigger Warning***  
> -violence  
> -EDITED-

-Laura-

Laura opened her eyes when the doorbell rang through her apartment. There was a polite pause before she heard four knocks on the door.

“Miss Hollis, please let me in. I don’t want to intrude but you know I will if I have to!”

Laura let out a loud groan to let James know she was complying, rolling out of bed and padding through the darkness to the door.

“What do you want?” she grumbled, viewing him with eyes half closed though the small opening she had created.

Instead of answering, the man pushed through the door and flipped the lights on as he passed her semi-conscious form. “Oh Lord, this place is filthy. How do you excuse living in this state?” He remarked, his lip curling in disgust as he used his thumb and forefinger to pick a banana peel off the counter and drop it in the overflowing trash can.

“You’ll have to excuse me if I am not overly enthusiastic about my living situation, given that I don’t have much choice in being here.” Laura snapped back, closing the door with her foot, “And I’ve told you quit it with the ‘Miss Hollis’ stuff. It’s hard enough having been here over two weeks without a single word from my friends, who are absolutely coming for me by the way, and I don’t need you annoying me too.”

There was a pause as they both waited for the telltale footsteps that was Damien, Laura’s ‘bodyguard’, walking away from his post at her door to go meet up with the cleaning boy he was hooking up with.

Once they were sure he was out of earshot, James finally gushed, “Oh god finally, how are you doing sugar? You look like a mess and those wrinkles under your eyes are really starting to worry me.”

“Well I mean I am literally living in hell, and unlike you I don’t know how to use concealer well enough to cover them.”

James laughed to himself before responding, “Oh sugar plum, all you have to do is ask you know I would be happy to teach you.”

“You know I am only kidding,” Laura sighed.

“That’s what I am afraid of.” James answered dryly, a comforting smile appearing on his face.

The blonde shoved his shoulder jokingly and his smile grew, “Oh shut up, you know what I mean.”

“Joking aside I’m worried about you honey.”

She felt herself sink a bit so Laura leaned into his chest and the demon’s arms wrapped around her, “I know kid, you miss her. But you are being so sad and that makes me sad too.”

“I don’t understand why, I broke up with her. Why am I like this? Like it was in the heat of the moment and I really didn’t mean it. I was just so angry, and yes we do need to have a long talk, but still…” Laura wondered aloud before settling into a thoughtful silence.

“You know what? I think you need to get out of here and get your ex lady friend off of your mind…” James shushed her when she began to interrupt, “… no matter what the capacity. Sitting around thinking about what you could have done differently will only hurt. It’s been weeks and devil knows my first few weeks were hell, pun intended. You need to get out of your room, and maybe even into the arms of one of our women, all of which would be happy to take care of you, under eye circles or not.”

“You already know my answer to the women, but you know getting out does sound like a good idea.”

“Consider it done!” James hopped up and pulled an old Motorola Razor from his jacket pocket and hit a number on speed dial, “Yes hi, it’s James. Our guest wants to get a little fresh air, do you mind if I take her for a little tour? Maybe do a little shopping?” He paused for a moment; listening to the voice that even Laura could tell was Mattie on the other end. He made a small sound of agreement, “Yes ma’am, I will make sure it gets done. Thank you very much, I will let her know. I apologize for the interruption, and please don’t get any blood on those shoes, they were such a nice find.”

With the flick of his wrist, the phone shut and reopened. He hit another button and when a voice answered the call he quickly said “Send a few of the girls our way please.”

He flipped the phone closed again and turned to where Laura was sitting on the bed, “So we need to wait for a bit more security to free itself up. She said in the meantime the room needs to be cleaned and to make sure you never let it get this bad again. She is treating you like a guest and expects you to behave as such.”

The blonde jumped off the bed quickly and began grabbing at the blankets, hastily trying to straighten them, “Oh yes of course how could I be so thoughtless…”

“What the hell are you doing?” James asked, watching her puzzled.

“I’m… cleaning…” Laura paused confused, “didn’t you say I had to clean?”

“No I said it had to be cleaned, not that you are the one who had to clean it…” he was interrupted by the doorbell and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. He answered the door and swept his hand behind him to the mess of a room, “Ladies! Please come in we’ve been waiting!”

A half dozen women scantily clad in maid uniforms filed in followed by two shirtless men, all wore bowties around their necks with a small silver bell jingling with each move they made.

“Alright kids let’s get this mess cleaned up because we have the town calling our names!”

\---------------

If Laura didn’t know better, she would have thought that she was walking through China Town on a starless night. All types of people were yelling at the passing crowds, imploring them to stop and look at their wares and why they should ignore the others doing the same thing.

Lights hung from most stands and the only other illumination came from the doors of the shops and the few street lights that were still flickering or glowing dimly. Somehow there was still enough lighting for her to feel comfortable without so many enormous men surrounding her, dominating the sidewalk and forcing others to move out of their way. Skyscrapers towered above them on every side, lights illuminating the windows like a checkerboard.

“Why do we need so many… guards?” Laura wondered aloud to James who walked beside her.

“Well besides someone to help carry everything you’ll be getting, for protection sweet heart. We are in hell after all.”

“Well alright, but I still think it’s a bit much.” She cut off as a necklace caught her eye hanging from a display in the store they were walking past. She paused and immediately every single person in her entourage froze, turning with her and scanning the area.

Realizing this wasn’t a fight she would win; Laura chose to ignore it and stepped closer, lightly holding the dangling trinket on her fingers. She admired the way the black cat wrapped itself around the silver heart. Its head and paws draped diagonally with its tail lazily curled around its sleeping form. She ran her finger alongside the trinket and found a small clasp that opened to show that it was actually a locket, two spaces ready and waiting for pictured of her choosing.

“Wow that’s a cute little thing,” James remarked, coming to stand beside Laura, “you should get it; it would look great on you.”

“I can’t get it, I have no money!” she said, dropping the pendant back to where it dangled.

“You’re so cute,” he laughed, reaching out and removing the necklace from the display.

A nervous shopkeeper emerged from where he stood near the wall watching the exchange. He had barely made it a step before the men surrounding them intercepted him with flexed muscles and serious expressions. “I’m sorry,” he squeaked to the looming men, “I just wanted to know if you would like that to be wrapped or as is?”

“No thank you, we’ll take it as is. But here, you can take this.” James tore the tag off the necklace carefully and handed it to Damien who in turn handed it to the shopkeeper. James then twirled his finger indicating that Laura should turn and when she had, he draped the locket around her neck and clasped it before lifting her hair out of the delicate chain that had trapped it.

The blonde looked in the display mirror and smiled, already planning what she wanted to showcase inside. “And this is mine? Just like that without paying?”

“Of course Hun, everything and everyone here belongs to the devil. And since you are her guest, you are treated as such anywhere you go here.”

“Oh… well thank you sir!” she smiled at the shopkeeper and waved, receiving a tense smile in return.

She chose not to address the obvious discomfort and instead turned and continued walking, her escorts falling into position around her and James.

 They had been shopping for what felt like hours though Laura couldn’t be sure without the sun to give her a clue as to how much time had passed. When her stomach began to rumble, James was very quick to suggest they stop and eat before returning to HQ. She had begun referring to the building as HQ since it was a mix between hotel and offices as well as any number of other things including an aviary and brothel and she didn’t know a word that encompassed everything it held. Although that is only what Laura had stumbled upon thus far while being summoned to different parts of the building and she was sure there was even more undiscovered by her.

“I know the perfect place, it’s just around the corner come on.”

Laura followed him without comment, knowing that everyone had to be hungry after so long. She glanced around and figured everyone had to be exhausted with all the bags they carried. James had been right about them needing people to carry the bags because anything that she showed even the slightest interest in had been bagged and taken with them.

The group finally reached the door to a building made of bricks, and wouldn’t have been given a second glance had it not been for the giant neon arrow pointing at the entrance. Before she could calculate what this meant in regards to what the establishment held, she was through the door. Smooth electronic music blasted from unseen speakers so loud she felt her blood thumping with the bass. Scantily clad women and a man or two swung from a number of poles that had been strategically placed on stages around the large room.

“Oh no…” the blonde backpedaled right into the arms of one of the guards who grunted slightly under the weight of the many bags he held.

“Come on sugar, this isn’t what it looks like. Well, ok it is but it also has great food!” James explained quickly, “Plus the guys are tired from carrying everything, have a heart!”

Laura glared at his grin, knowing he had her, “Fine! But just food!”

“Hell yeah! You heard her boys, let’s go!” James spun with a smile.

Not so subtle grins appeared on their faces briefly before they broke off, setting their bags in a corner near the door and scattering. Four stayed with Laura and James while the rest divided and began a sweep of the club. Every patron was moved and escorted out until the only people in the room were themselves and the employees. A few more broke off and went to search the four doors around the room. One behind the door that emptied into the kitchen, two that were restrooms, and one hallway that Laura guessed went back into the private rooms.

All returned, two men and a woman being ushered from the hall and out the door before the all clear was given. Two men stayed at the door after locking it while the rest spread around the stages, grabbing menus on their way. Damien and another man stayed behind the blonde and her well-groomed companion as they grabbed menus and made their way to a table near the closest stage.

They settled in and a beautiful woman in short shorts and a thin tank top came to take their drink order. Everyone was famished and ordered immediately, the journalist pleasantly surprised that the menu contained food she knew and not things like eyeball soup or batwing dumplings like she was used to seeing on TV. The past weeks she had turned down room service with that same fear and had simply requested a stocked kitchen to make her own food.

Once they had ordered, more women and a few men sashayed out to the stages. Every single one was jaw-droppingly attractive and began to strip in unison once they reached their positions.

She felt herself instantly turned on, the way the women’s bodies seemed to stroke the poles had her reaching for her water. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the women long enough to fully see the smile James had plastered on his face.

“You so did this on purpose you little gremlin.” She quipped as a side thought, her answer coming in the form of his smile getting even bigger.

“I know not of which you speak Sugar, we’re just here for some food. But I mean, if you are interested in anything else here…”

Laura had already tuned him out, the girl in front of her was tall and fit, her muscles flexing as she made her dance look effortless. Her arms were so toned that Laura very nearly forgot how to breathe. She noticed James beckon the girl with a finger but she just didn’t care because that was when she started walking toward them.

Her hips swayed in rhythm with the music and her tongue wet her lips as her eyes looked Laura up and down almost hungrily.

“Yes sir?” she directed her question towards James, curiosity in her voice but her eyes never leaving Laura’s.

“Yes hello…”

“Jasmine” she offered.

“Jasmine yes, well I think my friend here might just be interested in taking a little tour. Do you think you might have a moment to help her out?”

“Yes sir, I do believe I can. Miss?” she offered her hand to Laura who took it gently, allowing herself to be pulled up and led to the hallway she had observed earlier.

She felt the stares being exchanged between the guards as she left but still she found herself simply not caring as she followed the woman down the hall. Doors passed on either side but weren’t given a second glance, finally the hall ended at a single door and Jasmine opened it revealing a room draped in what could only be described as the finest of everything.

A sofa that could have doubled as a bed sat in the center of the room, a small round table with two chairs sat a few feet away from a fully stocked bar.

“Would you like a drink cutie?” Jasmine asked, already making her way to the bar.

“Oh, uh, yes please. Ketel One and St Germaine up with cranberry.” She nearly stuttered, suddenly uncomfortable outside of her element.

The woman winked and made her way behind the bar, grabbing a mixing tin and pouring the liquors over ice. She skillfully selected two iced martini glasses and placed them on the bar top, dividing the liquid between both glasses. She discarded the tin and strainer in a sink Laura couldn’t see before wrapping her fingers delicately around the drinks and walking her way with one held to the blonde.

Laura accepted it with a thank you and took a sip. “Oh wow, this is delicious!”

“You sound surprised Kitten,” Jasmine commented.

“I mean, I didn’t mean to insinuate that you don’t make good drinks I was just remarking…”

“I was only joking Hun, but this is a new drink to me. It tastes delicious…” Her eyes raking down Laura’s body gave away that she wasn’t thinking about the drink she held.

The blonde had a nagging feeling that she was forgetting something, but she just couldn’t hold onto the thought. With a shrug, she tipped the rest of the drink down her throat and Jasmine followed suit with a knowing grin.

Jasmine placed her empty glass on a side table before sliding over to where Laura sat on the couch. She lifted her leg to straddle the blonde’s lap, her hips gyrating against Laura’s lap. She felt herself becoming turned on but still it felt wrong. Every time she tried to focus on the intrusion in her mind, she was forcefully redirected to the thought of just what Jasmine could do with those fingers that were playing with her hair seductively.

“Oww!” Laura cried out when a searing pain flashed across her chest. It was white hot bolt of lightning that jolted her awake like a defibrillator, only no one had shouted “Clear!” to warn her of the impending surge.

It felt like the clouds had parted to let the sun shine through in her mind. The fog was gone and realizing what had happened, Laura jumped up with such force that she ended up flinging the woman off of her lap and through the air.

Jasmine grunted in pain when she hit the floor five feet away from where she started.

“What the holy hell are you doing?” the blonde shouted, though she knew full well what had happened.

“What the fuck was that for?” the woman asked in confusion, sitting up slowly. She reached to the back of her head and winced, the hand she pulled away was stained scarlet with blood. “Ow, you bitch…”

Laura was too distracted by her search for her pain that had since dulled to more of a sharp throb to even notice that she was being spoken to. She pulled the collar of her shirt down to see her scar had become an angry red. She studied the laceration mystified at this sudden inflammation, sure that she hadn’t done anything to irritate the old wound.

Just as suddenly as it came, the pain and discoloring were gone without a trace. Laura’s confusion was slowly replaced with outrage when she was hit with the full force of what exactly had been done to her and horror when she realized what she had almost done.

“James you absolute piece of shit…” she growled to herself, her head snapping side to side unable to believe this while simultaneously trying to figure out who she was going to kill first. Laura was so furious she might as well have had steam shooting from her ears to a train whistle sound effect.

Jasmine stood up and made her way over to the bar where she found a towel and held it on the back of her head to staunch the bleeding. Once she had what she needed, the woman walked back over to the couch and gracelessly plopped herself down on the cushions. Her flinch when the cloth hit her wound dropped quickly into one of surprise and fear as she whipped her head to stare at the door. Laura followed suit, unable to figure out what Jasmine had felt with her acute senses. Finally the blonde was able to discern muted thumps and felt the building shake as though someone had taken a wrecking ball to the side of the building.

Crashes and screams emanated from the main room and footsteps ran down the hall toward the door. James threw the door open, fear written plainly on his face. He stopped momentarily before Damien literally flew into him from behind, sending him tumbling into the room. The man was a mess, covered in blood and his eyes wild as he scrambled to his feet.

“EVERYONE GET DOWN!” he yelled as he slammed the door and bolted it. He threw his body against the door just in time as something very heavy hit the other side trying to get in.

Laura was too used to scenarios like these to follow his directions. While James and Jasmine dove behind the couch she ran to Damien and braced herself against the door with him.

“Miss, please get back! You will get hurt!”

“Don’t tell me what to do, you can’t hold this alone!” she shot back.

“But Miss, you are only human! You could be harmed or killed so easily!” he argued, the door beginning to splinter from the force of the attack.

“Yeah and if you die while insisting you can do this by yourself then I’ll probably end up dead, so a little pain is preferable to me.”

This shut him up and they refocused on their defense of the door.

“James!” Laura yelled.

“Yes Miss Hollis?” he reverted to her formal moniker and popped his head from behind the couch, terror on his face.

“Go behind the bar, find me a knife! And hurry!” she barked, another barrage hitting the door and knocking her back a few steps.

James shot out from behind the couch and made it to the bar, searching for moments before shouting victoriously with a serrated knife in his hands.  

Unfortunately, this was the last thing Laura would see before the door finally gave way and she and Damien went flying headfirst into the opposing wall.

-Carmilla-

The tingling in her legs kept distracting her from the exercise, as if she weren’t already distracted enough with the love of her life taken into the pits of hell. She felt a quick pain as the other seraph flicked her ear, breaking her concentration on not only hiding her aura but also her very essence.

“Focus bitch, you need to focus! I could read you with my eyes closed!”

“What the fuck do you think I’m trying to do Carrot Top???” she growled, twisting to lash out at the angel behind her.

Danny looked bored as she knocked Carmilla’s blow aside and immobilized her writhing form, “Are we really doing this again? Don’t you think if that would work, it would have happened the first few times you tried?”

Carmilla’s retort was muffled by the dirt her face was still being pushed into.

“What was that? I couldn’t understand you…” Danny’s smugness was palpable.

“If you want me to concentrate stop FUCKING distracting me!” Carmilla escalated from a growl to a yell when she turned her head to speak, throwing the angel off of her and leaping to her feet.

“You’re obviously not understanding the point of this lesson.”

“No? I think you just want to see me fail and be entertained with abusing me.”

“You’re not only an idiot, but you’re also wrong. How do you think you are going to learn to concentrate if you don’t have distractions?”

“How do you expect me to do anything with Laura gone?” Carmilla’s strength had disappeared and she sank to the ground, putting her head in her hands as she barely fought the tears.

“Ah finally, here it comes.” Danny sighed as she joined Carmilla on the ground and tried to hold her, but the brunette resisted the comfort she offered in her embrace.

“I should have been there Danny, I shouldn’t have let her leave alone knowing Mattie was out there just waiting for her to be alone…” the brunette growled at herself.

“Oh stop drama queen, there is no way you could have known that Mattie would take her. Plus, we are going to get her back I promise.”

“How do you know? This is the second time Laura has been taken and again it’s because of me and my screw ups. All of you would be better off without me.” Carmilla argued.

“Well in that case, why don’t you do something about it?”

Carmilla looked at her through blurry eyes and was horrified to realize she had gotten so close to showing her emotions in front of Danny, she would never live this down if the red head decided to tell anyone.

“Come on, get up.” The seraph nudged Carmilla up and off of her, “Let’s go, if you are so convinced you are dead weight then get off your ass and do something about it. Laura is strong but she can’t get out of this mess alone. Fight or not she needs you and she needs you at your best. The only way you can get there is by taking training seriously. With your old powers still available to you, you are going to be our ace when we go to get her.”

“If we can even find out a way to get her…” the brunette remarked dryly.

“We will, the others have the research covered and you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get your ass in gear. Yeah we need to find a way in, but what’s the point if we can’t make it out? That’s where you come in, we need you to make sure we get out. So let them do their job and start focusing on doing yours.”

She would never admit it, but Danny was right. And if the look on her face told her anything then that meant she read her aura and already knew.

“Fine, let’s start again from the top.”

Carmilla folded her legs beneath her and closed her eyes, focusing once more on her aura. This time however, she thought not of Laura being in distress because of her, but how the blonde made her feel when she looked into her eyes. She held onto the way her entire self seemed to relax while the woman was in her arms, safe and sound.

The angel felt Danny doing the equivalent of poking her aura with a stick to get a reaction. Between one jab and the next Carmilla grasped a thread of emotion and pulled just in time to escape the hit.

“Ahhhh there you go,” Carmilla opened her eyes to see Danny’s grin, “now let’s see if you can do that with your eyes open.”

Once again, Carmilla pulled away just in time to avoid the blow. The brunette stretched her neck, the familiar feeling of weaving her aura to her will returning slowly.

“So you can move it, now try to hide it completely.”

Carmilla stood and faced Danny, again using the thought of Laura like string attached to her aura to find where she ended and it began. She pulled and pushed the emotions, some light as a feather and others so heavy it seemed she was stepping in sludge. She could tell Danny felt that sludge too, but she also knew the angel understood now was not the time to discuss it.

Slowly but surely, her aura disappeared around her and she stood for the first time in months without an aura giving herself away.

Danny gave her a slow clap, “I don’t know how you went from shouting everything in your head back to being a blank space on the map but good job. Unfortunately, now is when the real work comes in…”

\-------------------

She followed Danny through the door, shedding her dirt covered shoes at the door knowing how Perry would freak if she made tracks in her impeccable living room.

“Hey, how did it go?” Kirsch asked, his aura perking up at the sight of Danny entering the room.

Danny’s aura also spiked before she could catch it and the seraph knew it when Perry and Carmilla gave her a look that said they had seen it. Meanwhile, Lafontaine just gave her a conspirator’s wink.

“Actually really well, we made a serious breakthrough. I think one more session and she will have most of it down. Have you made any progress?” the red head asked, nodding toward the books scattered around the room.

“Oh right, we have good news and bad news.” Kirsch started, “Yes we have found stuff but we have found a whole lot so JP and I are working on finding more in case what we have isn’t enough. Perry and Lafontaine are sorting through what we’re finding and narrowing it down to what is actually useful.”

“Ok, so how can we help?” the brunette asked urgently, her depleted energy returning at the thought of figuring this out and getting Laura back.

“Well for starters, you can go take a shower. You absolutely reek.” Perry scrunched her nose in disgust as Carmilla looked down and remembered her sweat had soaked through her shirt.

“Are you sure? I can stay and help you guys first…”

“I assure you that I speak for everyone here when I say yes we are sure, so go take a shower.” Perry made a shooing motion with her hands, dismissing the exhausted angel.

“Yes ma’am.” Carmilla replied, not wanting a repeat of Perry’s anger after the last time she didn’t show the proper amount of respect to her superior.

Kirsch and JP shared an incredulous look that Carmilla let go as she exited the door and made her way down the driveway to her and Laura’s apartment. She walked through the door and immediately began stripping her sweat soaked clothes off as she made her way to the bathroom. Down to her underwear, she turned the shower on and shed the rest of her covering as the water heated up.

With steam already beginning to cloud the mirror, Carmilla stepped into the stream. She groaned as the heat soaked into her sore muscles and began easing the tension she had been carrying. She stood there staring at the wall for a few minutes, feeling the water running down her body and listening to it circle the drain before finally falling into it. Numbly she reached for the knob and turned the water on as hot as it could go, and the angel remained on her feet until she could feel her skin beginning to protest the abuse she was putting it through.

Suddenly she was glad that Perry had ordered her to take a break because every emotion she had been holding back earlier with Danny came crashing down on her. In the nick of time she tore her aura down and she sunk to her knees until her back was leaning against the wall. Tears blurred her vision on top of the nearly boiling water cascading onto her shaking body.

For the first time in a week Carmilla just let her emotions pour over her. The anger, the frustration, the worry, all of it peaked and rushed out like water would explode from a burst dam.

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t…” she sobbed to herself.

 _“What seems to be the problem?”_ Lafontaine’s voice in her head startled the brunette momentarily, and before she could ask her next question they continued, “A _nd no, your aura is still shielded, I am the only one who knows.”_

“I can’t do it, I can’t go back there…” Carmilla wept, “They all think I’m so strong because I’ve been down there before but I’m not, and I can’t.”

_“There is more to this, what else is weighing on you Carmilla?”_

“Laf, I’m so scared. I’m terrified I won’t be enough, that I am not going to be able to do what they need me to. I am not what they think I am and that could get one of them or even Laura killed.”

_“My child, you seem to be under the mistaken impression that you are alone in this. No matter what lies you may have come to believe, you aren’t, and NEVER will be, alone.”_

Curled into a ball on the shower floor, Carmilla whimpered at the words just before the shower curtain was pulled back. The angel barely even acknowledged Danny’s presence as the seraphim dropped to her knees and enveloped the former demon tightly in her arms.

This time the brunette didn’t even think about pulling away, and instead leaned into the caring embrace. Danny was taking the brunt of the water and consequently her shirt and hair were drenched before Carmilla’s tears could even reach the fabric. Danny got up and stepped into the tub, scalding water still falling over her so that she could grasp her friend as close as she could while the brunette finally let everything out.

Carmilla didn’t even realize she had this many tears as she sobbed into her mentor’s shoulder. Danny’s arms were like a sanctuary as she stroked the soaked raven locks soothingly, all while comfortingly repeating the same thing over and over.

“I am right here. I’ve got you. You are not alone. You are not alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, any and all feedback are not only appreciated but actively awaited (they are the best part of writing this) I hope you enjoy it as well as enjoy this updated version!
> 
> **Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


	13. I Used To Recognize Myself, Funny How Reflections Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Laura struggles with her double standards...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title Song: Let It Go by James Bay
> 
> *TRIGGER WARNING*  
> blood and gore
> 
> ***I realize this chapter is really out of the way in regards to what I’ve been writing up until now but I promise there is a reason for it. What happens isn’t supposed to be weird at all so if you have a question about why this happened feel free to ask and I will explain it

-Laura-

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE YOU CAME TO LOSING MY MOST PRIZED… *ehem* Pardon me, my guest?” Mattie may have adjusted her words but her face remained a deep angry red as she tore into James, Damien, and the other two guards who had managed to survive the attack. “Do you have any idea what would have happened had that arrogant piece of shit had gotten his hands on our guest?”

Laura stood awkwardly off to the side as the men before her cowered before their leader, their attempts at stoicism working with the exception of James who looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Robert! Get these cretins out of my sight, and get me a new staff. I am no longer pleased with the job performance of my current one.” Mattie said, flicking her hand in the air as if to shoo the people from her presence.

Each man’s face drained itself of color immediately and James even became slack jawed before snapping his mouth shut in fear.

“No wait!” Laura interrupted; her knees were practically knocking together as she addressed the devil herself. “Don’t kill them please, they had no way of knowing that Theo would try something like that.”

Mattie turned to Laura and a small smile played at the corners of her mouth, “Of course they knew he would try something, why else would I send you with an army of body guards? They know exactly what they did to deserve their fate…”

Robert, the man who was more like a walking mountain of muscle with a mustache, began making his way toward the men and Laura knew she would have to use the only card she had to play.

“If you kill these men I will stop cooperating in this little game of yours. I know you need me safe because you need something from Carmilla, and so far I have been your model prisoner, or guest if that’s what you want to call my involuntary stay. But if you harm these men who fought so bravely to protect me then I will make sure to make your life as hard as I possibly can until Carmilla comes to save me.”

Laura was beyond terrified, and she knew that everyone in the room knew it but instead of the blow or attack she expected, her smile grew. It was a cold, calculating smirk with the slightest hint of respect.

She came so close to Laura that their noses were practically touching when she leaned down as if talking to a child, “So you’re waiting for your precious Carmilla to ride in and save you once again? No wonder my sister is so obsessed with you, she never could resist the helpless damsel in distress. At least now I know what she sees in you.”

Laura felt her spine stiffen at her words, not allowing herself to show just how much she had been affected. Mattie winked at her before straightening herself and strolling back behind her desk. She was nothing short of graceful as she sat herself in her enormous chair, placing reading glasses on her nose and began reading from a stack of papers. After a moment, she looked up and addressed the group as though she were surprised they hadn’t already fled from her presence.

“Laura Hollis, we have a deal. But be warned, this is the one and only time you get to play that card. Should there be even a hint of misbehavior on your part I will send you to the pit and let my friends in the dungeons practice their torture techniques on you, all while keeping you just alive enough for my sister to consider you worthy of rescue.” She punctuated her threat with a nod at the men still standing before her, “Robert, these men may live for now. However their only job from now on is to attend to Miss Hollis and keep her safe and… content inside of this building. Please show our fair maiden and her charges the way to her room before she faints of the vapors and is forced to see that no brave knight will be enough to save her from me.”

Robert nodded subserviently to Mattie before raising his arm and escorting them toward the door. James had such deep gashes on his left leg in so many places that she was surprised it was still attached, so Laura put his arm over her shoulders to help him limp along with the rest of the cowed group. He made sure to escort them past Vanessa’s curious gaze and into the elevator. Damien pushed the button marked as 23C and as soon as the doors began to close, Mattie’s voice could be heard coming from her office.

“And Robert? Our guest may have protected those around her, but I still expect the rest of my staff to be… replaced.”

Robert’s face split into a grin that could only be described as psychotic glee at the instructions he had received. James jerked his body toward the door but not quickly enough. The elevator began to descend just as Vanessa’s bloodcurdling scream reached their ears.

\--------------

Laura opened the door to her room and the disbelieving men stumbled in behind her.

 James leaning on her tried placing his other hand on her gently, “Laura you saved our lives, for th…”

The blonde jerked his hand off of her shoulder and growled, “If you touch me again, you will lose that hand.”

“But… what?” he asked confused.

“You manipulated me at the club, and don’t even try to deny it I know what it feels like having my emotions messed with. Do you have ANY idea how close I came to going through with it? Do you? I nearly just let Mattie have you…”

“I… I was just trying to help. You seemed so stressed and everyone knows the best way to get over an ex is to get under someone else.” He stuttered his excuse distractedly, the shock he was in making him dazed, but Laura was absolutely not letting him off.

“I’ve had my thoughts and emotions manipulated and dismissed more than I care to admit by the one person who is supposed to love and support me the most. I will not be your or anyone else’s emotive play thing ever again, I don’t care who you are. And to exploit me in such a way… you nearly had me raped. Do ANYTHING like that again and you won’t live long enough to realize just how badly you fucked up, are we clear?”

His eyes were like saucers, her anger slicing through the fog of his trauma and he nodded.

“Good, now come here.” The blonde said, opening her arms invitingly.

James looked at her in both fear and confusion, as though he expected her to snap his neck as soon as he got close.

“Come here you idiot, I might be beyond furious with you but I’m still your friend and we all have been through a lot. So get over here and let me help you.”

Laura couldn’t tell if he was convinced of her sincerity or if he just didn’t care if she killed him after the nightmare they had all just endured.

“She killed her…” he sobbed into her shoulder.

“I know James, I am so sorry. I know you liked Vanessa…”

“I loved her, more than anyone or anything in this life,” he whimpered into her shoulder.

“I am so sorry, I had no idea that Mattie would twist my words like that. I swear that I didn’t.” Laura held him close as he sobbed.

“They don’t say ‘the devil is in the details’ for nothing.” Damien muttered behind them.

Laura felt her heart fall at his distress while the other men stood around listlessly, looking lost and alone right next to each other.

She wasn’t sure what to do, her friend was bawling in her arms and it seemed she was the only one in the room who wasn’t in complete shock.

“Ok everyone shut up.” Laura said exasperatedly as she did her best to organize the thoughts flying through her head.

_Vanessa is dead._

_The entire staff is dead._

_Every one of us is bleeding._

_Every one of us is coated in dirt and debris._

_We need to stop the bleeding._

“Alright everyone listen up. We need bandages and something to clean our wounds, Damien go get something for us.  You two, what are your names?” When no one answered, Laura let out an exasperated sigh and tried again, “You on the right go to the bathroom and fill me up a large bowl of hot water and get me all the towels you can find. And you on the left help me get James into the tub.”

Finally given orders, the men split to complete them. The guard who was helping her with James had to be six and a half feet of pure muscle and yet he carried the injured man like a newborn kitten. Laura rushed ahead of him, no easy thing when her legs were about as long as his calves and every step she took sent agonizing pain shooting through her body. Flipping the lights on, the blonde guided them to the Jacuzzi tub.

Once James had been placed in the enormous white bathtub, Laura leaned over him to try and inspect the wound. “Dammit I can’t see anything, and there is no way we can get those pants off without reopening parts of the cut that had stopped bleeding. We’re going to have to cut them off.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when the man beside her whipped out a knife, the blade springing from the handle with a quick _THWWK_. Laura jumped to intercept the knife that was being plunged at James’ leg, “Whoa there, you’re going to hurt him even more like that. Here, give it to me…” the blonde took the knife and carefully began cutting the fabric of his pants, the movement making James yelp.

“Owwww! Jesus Christ owww stop it!” he cried, struggling to move his leg out of her grasp.

“James you have to stay still, the pants have to come off so that I can clean you up your wounds.”

“Fuck Laura it burns like a bitch…” he managed to get out before the other guard she didn’t know returned with a large mixing bowl of steaming water and an armful of clean towels.

“Perfect timing, bring those over here.” Once he placed the supplies by her folded knees, Laura glanced at James with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry, but your wounds are the worst and need to be taken care of first.”

His face turned green when he looked at his legs and the way the left one had been so disfigured it was nearly hanging off. “Jay, please tell me you have anything I can take for the pain. I would kill for a Tylenol right now.”

His eyes pleaded with the man who had returned with the towels, but Jay only shook his head, “Sorry dude, you know my brotha Leo has the good stuff.”

Leo, apparently the man who had carried James into the bathroom, reached his hand into the tattered suit jacket he wore and presented a somewhat large silver flask.

In an attempt to act brave that didn’t fool any of them, her friend joked, “Aw man Leo, you don’t have to sacrifice your good scotch for me.”

“I mean, I know it isn’t your top shelf tequila, but it’s better than nothing trust me.” Leo’s deep voice and strong Germanic accent had a somewhat calming effect on Laura.

James flashed him a weak smile as he accepted the flask that Leo handed to him.

“Okay, I’m going to need each of you at either end of the tub. This is going to hurt and I need you to keep him as still as possible or I might hurt him more just trying to get these pants off.”

They took their positions and the blonde took a deep breath as she figured out the best place to start cutting.

“You know Laura, if you wanted to get me out of my pants then you could have just asked me…” James’s grin was weak and it didn’t hide the look of fear in his eyes. He took a long swig from the flask in his hand and leaned his head back, “Get on with it, waiting won’t make this any easier.”

As she suspected, the fabric had begun to stick in the wounds and even trying to move it to see what she was dealing with caused him to scream bloody murder. Jay unsuccessfully tried to stick a towel in James’s mouth to muffle his screams, probably the last thing they needed right now was a noise complaint.

Before she could get too far Damien came striding into the bathroom with purpose in his eyes, “Well I forgot just how efficient they are when it comes to replacing us. All we were allowed was this and a useless wish of good luck…” he declared with annoyance plain in his voice.

He dumped the basket he carried and even Laura trying to be optimistic knew they were woefully undersupplied. Their inventory consisted of: two large tubes of Neosporin, medical tape, a pile of individually wrapped gauze pads, ace bandage, tweezers, a small pair of scissors, a large sewing needle, a spool of black thread, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

“Gee, Mattie is just so giving in our time of need…” the blonde remarked dryly, her eyes rolling as she returned her attention to her patient.

“She also gave us an ice pack. I took the initiative of putting it in the freezer for when we need it later,” Damien remarked as he knelt near their meager pile of provisions.

“Ok I know it isn’t the best angle but I need you to get on the other side of the tub. Take the bowl of water and those towels. If I cut anything away and it starts gushing I need you to use the towels and apply pressure until it slows.” She instructed the man who obeyed silently and quickly.

As he positioned himself, Laura placed the tweezers and scissors at her feet knowing she would be needing them soon.

“Is everyone ready?” she asked, looking at each of them in turn and they nodded. Her eyes met with James’ as he took another large gulp from the flask. Without a word, he grabbed the towel that Jay had been trying to muffle his screams with earlier and shoved it in his mouth before nodding at her that he too was ready.

Laura took a deep breath and began cutting.

\----------

A pair of wild looking eyes stared back at her from the mirror that hung on the wall above a set of drawers across from her bed. The tattered remnants of her shirt just barely clung to her shoulders, the pale blue of the fabric dyed a muddy red with dried blood. Her face was streaked with dirt and sweat along with who knows what else and her hair looked like a nest with all the debris that had gotten tangled in it during the fight.

She had just finished tucking James into her bed and her ears were still ringing with the ghosts of his screams. Laura backed away from the mirror and when her back hit the wall, her body slumped against it and she melted to the floor in a puddle of exhaustion. Her heart continued its exaggerated rhythm while her muscles protested their lack of movement because surely there was still more that needed to be done. She still felt like James was in the danger zone, he had lost so much blood and there was no coming back from seeing cuts so deep that his bone had been clearly exposed.

Due to his responsibilities, James was the only one of the men who hadn’t been endowed with wings since he had no use for them. She had only learned that neat little fact in the middle of her emergency trial and error surgery when the demon’s heart stopped and she had to resuscitate him. Apparently without wings a demon is still harder to kill and able to heal faster, but can be killed the way any human can. Mid-chest compression Laura had begun to forget what she was even doing and only snapped out of it when his heart began beating again.

She shook her head to clear it of the recent events, even in her dissociative state she knew reliving it wouldn’t help her get the medical care she most definitely needed. She sent a small thank you to her dad for putting her through EMT training at the age of ten and getting her recertified every year since because it gave her an idea of what she would need to do to help herself in the ragtag state she was in. She glanced around the room at the three unconscious men freshly clean with her help, their injuries making them unable to bathe themselves.

Even acting only as their helper to clean the last of the debris from their banged and bruised bodies, Laura could absolutely say that she never wanted to see another naked man for the rest of her life.

Jay was asleep on the couch with a blanket Laura had draped over him after he had passed out, his snores harmonizing with Damien’s who lay beside him on the floor. She heard the shower turn off, and there was a pause before she caught the sound of gentle footsteps on the tile that still cradled blood puddled in its crevices.

“You were truly remarkable today.” Leo said, breaking the relative quiet of the room.

A towel was wrapped around his waist as he leaned against the door frame to support the weight his injured body was struggling to. His eyes were looking at her in an entirely new light than just hours previously and she didn’t know how to respond to the change.

“I wasn’t, I just did what I could to stop the bleeding. You guys took the brunt of it, you were the ones punished for saving my life, and had to deal with me poking and prodding you while I guessed at what I needed to do to help you.” The blonde sighed, hiding how close to tears she was. Her mind was numb with shock and exhaustion and she was propped up against the wall which was the only reason she wasn’t completely laid out on the floor.

“You showed more bravery and clearer thinking under fire than any man I have ever fought beside.” He began limping toward the girl suddenly looking anywhere but at him, actively interfering with her attempts at avoiding eye contact. “Miss Hollis, you do realize you saved each of our lives at least twice today. Three times in James’ case, but you know that just as well as we do. It seems like you don’t want to admit just how involved you were with the outcome of today’s events for some reason I can’t quite understand.”

She felt her already crumbling walls break and the tears she had been holding back came flooding out. “I am the reason this happened to all of you. If it weren’t for me, none of you would have been hurt, been in trouble with Mattie, and wouldn’t have needed me to clean you up. You shouldn’t be thanking the person who is responsible for nearly getting you killed as many times as you insist she saved you. I can’t even guess how many of you died defending me today and I don’t even know your names…”

Leo bent down until he was on her level, with a lot of pain if the grunts he was trying to suppress were any indication. He used the index finger from his uninjured hand to lift her chin so she was looking at him. “Miss Hollis…”

“Laura.” She corrected him with a small whimper.

“Laura then, allow me to introduce you to the men you have saved from not only death, but also a fate far worse had you not challenged Mattie the way you did. My name is Leopold though my friends call me Leo. Jay is the one asleep on the couch, and you already know James and Damien.” He returned his eyes to hers after he had pointed to each man as he named them, “Now please believe me when I say that the only thing you are responsible for today is saving our lives. You aren’t at fault for being here to my understanding, and anything that happens because of your presence in this place is the same. This includes the attempt made by Theo and his goons earlier as well as any that will undoubtedly be made in the future.” An extra loud round of snores interrupted his gallant speech, resulting in a humorous grin to sprout on his face before he continued, “I am certain I speak for everyone in this room when I say that we owe you our lives and will do everything in our power to aid you in whatever you ask of us in an attempt to repay our debt to you.”

The blonde only had the strength to nod in an attempt to show that she had heard and understood him before the tears resumed.

“Miss… Laura. You insisted that we all be seen to before yourself, and as you can see that has been done. Please allow me to help you clean and care for yourself.”

Before she even had the chance to argue, Leo had ever so gently swept her into his arms and limped with her into the bathroom. He carried her directly into the shower, shifting her weight onto his good arm so he could use his body to awkwardly maneuver the lever to turn the shower on.

Water still hot from Leo’s shower cascaded onto them, waking Laura from her withdrawn state. She wiggled herself out of his arms and onto her own feet.

“Thank you Leo, I can handle this from here.”

The blonde’s attempt at acting tough failed her when she turned to look at the man behind her and nearly collapsed in pain.

“Please Mi… Laura. Please allow me to help you, you have my word that I will not try anything untoward. I simply wish to aid you the way you did the rest of us.” He moved until he was in front of her so she wouldn’t have to try to turn again. “Please, your muscles have obviously seized and tightened after you neglected your injuries in favor of ours.”

Regardless of the shame she felt in realizing that he was right, Laura just didn’t have the energy to argue. She’d had the same dispute with each man she had bathed earlier and knew it was no use because the determination she had been fueled by earlier was now burning in his eyes.

“Fine, but not in the shower. Could you fill the tub up? I’m pretty sure I need to soak for a minute anyway before trying to get these clothes off, the only thing keeping my shirt on is the dried blood.”

Reading the resignation in her eyes, Leo nodded and stepped back, “Are you able to stand by yourself?”

Laura nodded stoically and watched him shuffle out of the shower. As soon as he was out of view the blonde staggered and fell against the shower wall, the bar the only thing keeping her standing. While she waited, the blonde stared at bloody water that swirled down the drain at her feet and felt the clumps begin to loosen all over her body. She pushed away from the wall when he returned a few minutes later wearing a pair of shorts to cover himself in lieu of the towel that had been soaked bringing her into the shower.

“I apologize for the delay, I didn’t want to subject you to another naked male today.” He joked trying to make her more comfortable but Laura was using most of her strength to simply remain standing.

Realizing this, Leo held her upright trying to help her remove her blood crusted pants. The fabric finally began to move down her hips after the steaming water had loosened the dirt and blood that had dried between them and her skin. She stepped out of the pants and left them forgotten in a heap on the shower floor.

“Ok so don’t take this the wrong way but can you close your eyes before I take any more off. It’s nothing against you, I just don’t want…”

“Oh no, don’t worry Miss. You have no need to explain yourself I understand.” He offered quickly, his eyes snapping shut immediately.

Unable to raise her arms to shed what was left of her shirt, Laura groaned in frustration at her inability to be independent. “Could you maybe just help me with my shirt? I can’t get it over my head. Still don’t look though, here just rip this.” She said, carefully handing him the thin pieces of fabric that kept the shirt clinging to her body.

Leo ripped them with no effort and let the remains of her outer clothing to fall onto the pile that were her sodden pants at their feet.

Standing only in her underwear and bra, Laura became aware of the full extent of her injuries when her attempt to see her wounds resulted in a blinding flash of pain. She inhaled quickly to keep from screaming as the hot water finally reached the enormous gashes that adorned her ribs like ivy climbing a tree.

It was clearly a large claw that was the cause of her wounds, one she remembered belonging to a particularly vicious demon who had nearly taken Damien’s head off. The blood that had dried dripping down her ribs began to crumble, beginning to reveal large slashes highlighted by a vivid bruise running up the entire left side of her body. The discoloration began halfway up her thigh and continued as it rose up her torso, running around her shoulder making it impossible for her to move without excruciating pain. This was by far the worst of her injuries, though the rest of her body was covered in lesser scratches and bruises as well.

“Are you alright Miss?” Leo asked, her silence apparently worrying him since he wasn’t able to see her.

She surrendered her attempts at getting him to refer to her by her actual name silently. Laura smiled and replied, “Yeah I’m alright, sorry I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m heading to the bath now.”

She did her best to stumble as subtly as possible out of the shower and over to the tub that had been filled at her request. An abundance of bubbles hid the water beneath, the aroma of lavender hit her face and she grimaced thinking about how badly the steaming water was going to hurt her all too fresh lacerations.

The blonde paused at the edge of the bath and addressed the man blindly following her, “Can I borrow your hand?”

Leo held it out without question and helped her stay balanced as she shimmied out of her underwear with as little movement as she could. When she was done Laura guided his hand up her back as far as she could manage before the pain made her muscles seize, “I’m sorry, could you help me with this too? I’m just a bit stiff is all…”

The poor guy blushed and stammered when he realized what she was asking, “I am so sorry, I don’t actually know how to do this….”

Laura couldn’t help but giggle at the hulking beast of a man whose imposing presence hid the heart of an innocent and respectful boy. “Honestly just rip it, I’m sure Mattie has provided me with more than enough to replace it.”

The clasp popped off and landed a few feet behind them and Laura relaxed her shoulder to let the last of her clothing slip off of her curves and onto the tile. Leo had hastily mopped the floor of most of the blood and the debris from her medical efforts had been swept into the corner, giving her at least the semblance of not bathing in an operating room.

“Could you help me one last time? Just getting into the tub, I need a hand to lean on.”

The man’s sweet face smiled as he gave her his hand, patiently waiting as Laura climbed into the tub. She took a deep breath to prepare herself before folding her legs and lowering herself carefully into the suds.

She was unable to stop the hiss of pain that morphed into a whimper as her largest laceration became immersed in the steaming caress of the water. Her muscles tensed in reaction to the way every part of her body screamed as the heat stung her overly battered muscles.

The young journalist gasped, trying to reclaim the breath that had been stolen from her lungs.

“Is everything alright Miss?” Leo asked, concern apparent both on his face and in his voice.

“Yeah sorry I’m alright, it was just the hot water that hurt a bit. You can look now by the way.”

His eyes snapped open and just seeing her made him visibly relax.

_Oh Lord, I think I just picked up another puppy. I hope Kirsch isn’t territorial because if either of them start trying to pee on me so help me God…_

Laura grinned at her own internal joke, proud of herself for continuing to be hilarious even at a time such as this.

While she was allowing her body to adjust to the temperature of the water, Leo walked over and turned the shower off before grabbing another towel and drying himself once again. By the time he was at her side once more, Laura felt herself beginning to relax and lowered herself a little further into the water. The bubbles were already covering her breasts and as she was lowering herself once again the man stopped her.

“What is that?” Leo asked, his brow furrowed in concern again.

The blonde sunk further into the bubbles, worried that he had seen where the gashes ended near her shoulder. “What is what?” she asked innocently.

“That mark, above your right breast. It looked like a scar but not at the same time…”

Laura let out a small sigh knowing he had only seen her scar and not the true extent of her injuries. She twisted to face him and subsequently hide her newest injury as she rose slightly out of the bubbles to show the scar he had asked about.

“Oh this?” she asked innocently, “this is old. It’s from when…” Laura trailed off when she looked down and saw the familiar blemish was now an angry, swollen red.

“That’s so weird… why does it look like that? I mean there are cuts around it but nothing that would make it look like that…”

The blonde brought her hand up to feel the renewed wound but when she brushed her fingers across the raised scar tissue, it felt no different than usual. The blemish was obviously irritated and inflamed, but besides the physical distress there were no unusual symptoms.

“That’s so weird, it doesn’t hurt and it isn’t hot, it’s just inflamed.”

“May I…” he asked as he reached out to inspect the damage for himself.

Laura recoiled and plunged down into the sweltering water before he could touch her, the remainder of her newest injuries dipping below the water made her grimace in pain. Her reaction confused her just as much as it did Leo. She had no idea why she was so opposed to him being near her scar but for some reason she just felt like it needed to be… _protected_.

“I’m sorry, I’m just really tired and I want to get this done so I can finally sleep.” She tried to cover up her reaction but while he nodded respectfully and reached for a pitcher, she could tell he was far from convinced.

The next few minutes seemed mechanical, the man sitting on the edge of the tub and helping her with her hair. Leo poured water over her head and Laura just sat in pregnant silence as he picked bits of debris from her hair. That awkwardness was broken as soon as he poured shampoo into his hands and began massaging her scalp.

The heated water had finally begun soaking into her wearied muscles and the feeling of someone playing with her hair transformed Laura into a puddle of mush. She heard Leo let out the smallest snort of laughter at the way she so obviously melted beneath his fingers.

Once he had begun rinsing the suds out of her hair, he spoke up, “Miss you might want to start *ehem* cleaning your body. I know that is something you would want to do yourself.”

Laura groaned dramatically, “Oh God, do I have to? Can’t that wait for tomorrow?”

He chuckled before replying, “That you are asking me tells me you already know the answer.”

She sighed at his words and raised her hand above the disappearing bubbles, “Jeeves, my tools please.”

This succeeded in making him laugh as he handed her a new bar of soap and a luffa. Leo poured conditioner into her hair and began rubbing it in while Laura soaped up her luffa and began to make a dent in the dirt and grime that had been loosened during her long soak. Once that was done and she had cleaned her smaller cuts and scrapes, she turned her attention to the agonizingly tender gashes running up her side.

She began by removing the excess blood from the edges of the lacerations guiding her hands by only touch below the bubbles then started to ever so gently dab at the loosened scabs. Noticing her grimace and muscles that had tensed once again, Leo placed his hand lightly on her shoulder and murmured, “I think that is enough for tonight miss. Please lean back so I can brush and rinse your hair and we can take care of the rest of your injuries.”

Her exhaustion was drowned out by her need to keep the extent of her wounds a secret. “No no, that’s alright. I can take care of them myself, don’t worry just help me finish and you go get some sleep.”

She heard him give a long sigh before finally agreeing, “Fine, but I am helping you with them tomorrow no matter what you say.”

“Deal,” she responded, surprised that he hadn’t put up more of a fight, “now let’s finish this so we can both get some sleep.”

_I’ll figure out a way out of that tomorrow when I can actually feel my brain._

Laura felt herself dozing off while Leo ran the comb through her hair and came to when he gently pushed her forward so he could rinse her hair.

By the time he was finished the remnants of the bubbles covering her were nearly gone and the water was little more than lukewarm. Leo rose and grabbed Laura a towel, placing it on the edge of the tub before making a show of covering his eyes and turning around. Leaning forward to open the drain, she was acutely aware of the fact that the fumes she was running on were almost gone.

Her muscles were no longer painfully stiff though which allowed Laura to get out of the tub without help. She dabbed at her body to dry herself without irritating any of her incredibly numerous injuries.

“Could you do me one last favor?” she asked the man who had appointed himself as her caretaker, “Out in the dresser on the left side is a drawer with sweats. Can you grab me a pair of sweatpants and a loose tank top?”

“Of course Miss,” he replied, strolling out the door and into the main room.

She heard him open and rummage through the drawers and she took that time to dry the rest of her body. He returned moments later, clothes in one hand and the other covering his eyes. The feel of the loose fabric over her aching skin was like velvet to her screaming body.

Out of habit, Laura bent over to flip her hair into a towel hat, however the water hadn’t made her quite that flexible. She hid her cry of pain in an unassuming grunt and wrapped her drenched locks in the towel. As soon as she let Leo know that he could open his eyes, darkness slowly began to creep along the edges of her vision. It was subtle but unmistakable and because of that, Laura knew what was happening even through the haze of fatigue.

“Don’t you dare, I have had enough manipulation today…” She couldn’t even finish her sentence before her eyes closed and her legs gave out.

She felt Leo’s muscled arms catch her and before she fell unconscious, she heard him mutter, “Forgive me Miss, but this is the only way you will allow me to help you.”

The darkness ate away at the last of her vision once again, her memory of the last time this happened still fresh in her mind.

_Help? I’ve never needed anyone’s help and I sure as hell don’t need it now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just my gift to you:  
> Due to the time differences between Earth and Hell, I have divided the chapters into events that occur at the same time. For example in chapter 12, it has been a little more than two weeks for Laura while it has only been a week for Carmilla so what they are doing is happening at the same time. This will continue as long as the POVs remain in different dimensions.
> 
> **Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove

**Author's Note:**

> Please please pLeAsE comment with anything you see that I could work on since once again this fic is writing practice for me. Any and all constructive criticism with be greatly appreciated!  
> Find me on social media my inbox is always open no matter where! (And my username is the same across the board)  
> Follow me on tumblr, my inbox is always open! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/butiwilllove


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